Things that Made Piper, Piper

Piper was born June 19, 2007, and was deeply loved by her family, including her parents, Eric and Ashley, and her brothers, Jace and Rhett.
She loved God. She loved her family. She loved her friends, and she was always happy to tell you about her “boyfriends.”
Piper loved music, singing and dancing. She loved cheerleading and being part of her school. Before cheerleading, she participated in basketball and cross country.
She also spent time as a teacher’s aide in a second grade classroom, where her love for children and people had another place to shine.
And Piper loved to eat. Noodles and Mexican food were favorites, and the people who knew her best can tell countless stories about the little things that made her laugh, dance, sing and smile.
Piper had Down syndrome, but that was only one part of the person she was. What defined Piper was the way she lived.
She loved without conditions. She forgave immediately. She found happiness in people and in moments that others might overlook.
Piper reminded those around her, often without ever having to say it, that loving people does not have to be complicated.

Faith Through the Hardest Days

In 2026, during what should have been an exciting senior year, Piper was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
For six weeks, Piper and her family faced a battle they never expected. Much of that journey was spent at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where Piper received treatment and her family experienced firsthand the extraordinary care and compassion provided to children and families walking through childhood cancer.
On April 14, 2026, Piper passed away at Arkansas Children’s Hospital following complications from her treatment.

She was 18 years old.

Her battle with leukemia was six weeks of her life. It is an important part of Piper’s story, but it is not the whole story.
Piper’s story is the eighteen years that came before it. It is faith, family, laughter, music, dancing, cheerleading, friendships, forgiveness and a whole lot of love.

From Piper’s Life Came Piper’s Purpose

During Piper’s illness, people surrounded her and her family with prayer, love and support. What began as “Prayers for Piper” became a community of people who loved Piper and wanted to help.
After Piper passed away, her family made the decision to turn that love outward.
Piper’s Purpose Foundation was established in her memory, inspired both by the way Piper lived and by her family’s experience during her treatment at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
The mission reflects the qualities Piper demonstrated throughout her life: faith, hope, unconditional love, immediate forgiveness and genuine care for people of all races, physical capabilities and walks of life.
Today, that legacy continues through support for families facing childhood cancer and scholarships for students pursuing careers in nursing. Every utility bill paid, every grocery need met, every burden made a little lighter and every future nurse supported is another opportunity for Piper’s love to reach someone else.

We call them Piper seeds.

We may not see all the fruit those seeds produce. A nursing student supported today may care for thousands of people throughout a career. A family helped during one of its hardest days may someday extend that same kindness to someone else. We may never know every life touched. But the fruit of those seeds is out there among us. And that is exactly what Piper’s Purpose is about.