Lara was a dainty, beautiful, and caring child. She was the fairy princess of her family. She had spunk and sass, and was a bundle full of energy. She enjoyed dancing, singing, and most of all, playing with her friends. She adored school and her teachers so much that she dreamed of becoming a teacher herself. Writing was one of her favorite activities. She had a determination about her and always expressed what she wanted. Her heart was full of love, and she wanted others to be happy, above all.

Lara’s parents rushed her to the hospital after she began experiencing right-side weakness that affected her handwriting and caused her to develop a limp in her right leg. After several tests, she was diagnosed with DIPG, an aggressive and fast-growing brain tumor, at the age of 6. Lara’s diagnosis left her family numb and in complete shock, and it was just the beginning of the horror that would change their lives forever.

Within a month, Lara lost the use of the right side of her body, but she was determined to make the most of every day. Practically overnight, she taught herself to be left-handed and whenever someone offered to help her draw or feed her, she would get upset and insisted on doing it herself. Despite her physical limitations, Lara continued to try and do what she loved most - to draw, color, do arts and crafts, dance, and sing. But over time, DIPG took a toll on her emotionally as well as physically causing her to slowly lose interest in some of the things she used to enjoy.

Lara battled bravely for 13 months before she passed away on May 21, 2018, at the age of 7 1/2. She was incredibly strong and resilient throughout her battle, only crying twice during the last 13 months of her life. She wanted so badly to get better, and she never complained about her new diet or all of the medicines she had to take daily. She deserved better than the inevitable outcome of DIPG.

"Raising funds for pediatric brain cancer research helps our family cope with our tremendous loss. It is our way of turning our grief into something meaningful that will hopefully lead to the cure and put an end to this horrific disease." - The Pasi Family

Thank you for choosing to donate to The Cure Starts Now Foundation. 100% of this donation, after credit card processing fees, goes directly towards research to find the homerun cure for cancer starting with pediatric brain cancer research.

If you would like to make a donation by mail please send a check to:  The Cure Starts Now Foundation; 10280 Chester Road; Cincinnati, OH 45215 and put the child's name in the memo.

The family receives notification of all donations made to this tribute fund automatically.