Dorian Murray, the 8-year-old American boy with rhabdomyosarcoma who requested people to post their photos of The Great Wall of China, passed away on Tuesday night.
The Facebook page created for Murray, Praying for Dorian, announced his demise on behalf of the boy’s grieving parents, Melissa and Chris Murray. The post partly reads, “Dorian J. Murray (#dstrong) has gained his beautiful angel wings tonight and is now pain free. He was surrounded by people who love him and his transition to heaven was very peaceful. He was embraced by both mom and dad.”
Earlier on the same day, his parents wrote that watching the boy slip away is a torture. On Monday night, they called hospice to evaluate Dorian’s condition because the child was agitated and uncomfortable. “It was scary and we thought it was the end,” his parents wrote.
He survived the night. In the morning, the parents told him that they love Dorian, and the boy replied “I know.”
On that same morning, the Murrays announced the establishment of the Dorian J. Murray Foundation, which they plan to register as a non-profit organization with the aim of raising funds to support pediatric cancer research. The boy died of a cancer that hits children.
Dorian was four when he was diagnosed, had treatment and went into remission in 2013. The cancer returned in December 2015, and in January, his family decided to stop treatment. Before he died, he asked people to post their photos in the Great Wall of China because he wanted to be famous in the country.
The foundation will donate to organizations such as St. Baldricks, CureSearch and Dr. Keller of CHOOP. It would also support families of children diagnosed with cancer by donating to The Tomorrow Fund. The website of the foundation is being designed but donations could be made to Dorian J. Murray Foundation at PO Box 1225, Westerly RI 02891.
On March 4, the parents shared that they went to Florida to see Dorian’s grandparents from both sides. The 9-day trip includes two days at Universal Studios, but they flew home four days ahead of schedule because Dorian – who was diagnosed with early stage liver failure before they left – took a turn for the worse. They wrote that update aboard a plane back home.