WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A 10-year-old from Melvern, Kansas, died on Sunday after complications from a six-year-long battle with leukemia.
KSN introduced Ethan Frisbie and his family in March after their car was stolen from the Ronald McDonald House while he was getting treatment. Ethan remained positive through the obstacles.
Ethan’s parents said that watching their child not get better is a feeling of helplessness.
Ethan’s mom, Denise Johnson, said her son had a strong will to live, but his battle with cancer was never kind to her 10-year-old. She believes he is now at peace, and the family is grateful for the extra time they had with him.
Ethan was diagnosed with leukemia at 5 years old. He went on to beat the disease twice. He died on Sunday after a fungal infection complication.
Denise said that thinking your child is in the clear, only to suffer, is devastating.
“When they’re in pain, and there’s nothing you can do, and the doctor can’t give them more pain medicine for two more hours, It’s so hard to watch that, when it’s your child, and you can’t do anything, but try to love them through it,” said Denise.
Ethan dreamed of becoming a media personality. His outgoing spirit led to over 17,000 people pouring in support with cards, presents, and experiences of a lifetime.
“I can’t tell you how happy it made him when otherwise he would’ve been so miserable. I feel like it helped him keep going. It helped him to live longer,” said Denise.
Ethan’s dad, Chris Johnson, said he was thankful they used his son’s time out of the hospital to fish and enjoy each other’s company. He said that losing Ethan leaves him empty.
“Total sadness, just knowing that I wasn’t going to see him anymore, and that was it, it broke me down,” said Chris.
Denise said before he passed, they made an agreement to see each other again.
“We promised that we would come visit each other in our dreams. We called them dream dates, and I told him, ‘I’ll just wait for my dream date.’ I’m still waiting for it because I just miss him. I just want to see him. It’s very hard,” said Denise.
Ethan’s parents said they are grateful to everyone who helped uplift their son through his cancer journey and credit the support for more time with their son. They made plans to bury him in his mom’s hometown in Emporia. The funeral has been set for Nov. 7.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover funeral costs.