Finley Domy

At 5 years old, Finley Domy should be thinking about kindergarten, playing sports and spending his days with his little brother. Instead, Finley and his family are navigating a diagnosis no family should ever have to hear: DIPG.

Finley lives in Star, Idaho, with his parents, Dallas and Alex, and his baby brother, Ren. An active little boy who loves football, baseball, jiu-jitsu and playing with Legos, Finley had been looking forward to starting kindergarten when his family’s world suddenly changed.

It began in June, after Finley had a cavity filled. His parents noticed one side of his face was drooping, but because it happened following the dental procedure, the symptom was initially thought to be related to the anesthesia. When Finley later began vomiting and experiencing problems with his balance, Dallas and Alex knew something wasn’t right. An MRI revealed something in their son’s brain.

The diagnosis that followed was diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), an aggressive brain tumor that grows in the pons, an area of the brainstem responsible for many of the body’s most vital functions. Because of where and how the tumor grows, it cannot be surgically removed.

The statistics Dallas and Alex were given were devastating. For children diagnosed with DIPG, median survival is less than a year, and only about 10% survive beyond two years. There is currently no cure.

“But that’s not our story,” Dallas said after hearing the statistics associated with DIPG. “Our story is that he’s the strongest boy we know.”

Dallas and Alex have refused to let those numbers define their son or the time their family has together. Finley is more than a diagnosis and more than a statistic. He is their funny, active, Lego-loving 5-year-old, a big brother and a little boy with an entire community behind him.

From the very moment they learned of their son’s diagnosis, the Domys have chosen to focus not on a timeline, but on Finley: pursuing every possible treatment opportunity while making sure their little boy continues to experience as much childhood, joy and family time as possible.

Finding Strength in the Everyday

As Finley began radiation five days a week, his parents worked to explain what was happening in a way a 5-year-old could understand. When he underwent his first MRI, they told him doctors were looking to see what his superhero powers were. Later, they explained that there was something in his brain making him feel sick and that his treatments were there to help him feel better. And when Dallas and Alex would ask at night whether he had questions about everything happening around him, Finley’s attention often returned to something much more appropriate for a 5-year-old: playing with his Legos.

Those ordinary childhood moments have become especially precious to the Domy family. They want Finley to swim, play with his friends, go to school and spend time with his baby brother. They want family game nights and everyday adventures. As Dallas put it, their goal is simply “being a family.”

Finley had wanted a little brother for years, asking for one on birthdays and Christmases. His wish finally came true when Ren joined the family last winter. Now, Dallas and Alex are focused on giving their boys as much time together as possible while exploring every treatment opportunity available to Finley.

A Community Becomes Finley Fierce

As the Domys began facing Finley’s diagnosis, something extraordinary happened around them. Their Idaho community showed up.

Friends, neighbors and local businesses organized fundraisers. A local barber who had known Dallas since childhood cut hair for 24 hours straight to raise money for the family. Others planned raffles, a golf tournament and additional events, while supporters bought “Finley Fierce” shirts and contributed to the family’s fundraising campaign.

The outpouring has helped give Dallas and Alex something invaluable: the ability to focus their attention on Finley and Ren while navigating appointments, treatment and potential travel for additional therapies.

For a family thrust into a world they never imagined entering, that support has been overwhelming. And at the center of it all remains the little boy who inspired it. Finley is a big brother, an athlete, a Lego builder and a soon-to-be kindergartner. He’s a 5-year-old surrounded by a family and community determined to make every day count.

He is Finley Fierce.