Olivia Crimmins

“Our Sweet Olivia”: A Brave Little Girl with a Big Heart

Olivia lights up every room she enters. She’s a sweet, spirited 5-year-old with a love for Disney princesses, donuts, and making people smile. In her younger years, she was full of sass and spunk—always testing limits, always doing it with love. Today, even in the face of an unimaginable diagnosis, that same fire shines through.

She’s curious and bright, always eager to show off her reading skills or impress someone with a phrase in Spanish. She loves watching firefighter reality shows—not just for the action, but because she admires the way firefighters help people. She wants to be one when she grows up.

She’s happiest when she’s outside, especially on a swing, with her little brother Gabriel nearby. Before her diagnosis, she was a total fish—swimming in her grandparents’ pool, insisting on doing things herself. “Scoot back!” she’d shout, demanding space so she could leap into the water on her own terms. That spirit of independence and strength still defines her.

A Life-Changing Day

It was just a subtle hand tremor at first. Nothing more. But her parents knew something wasn’t right and pursued answers, visiting pediatricians and neurologists before finally receiving a referral for an MRI. On January 27, 2025, their world turned upside down.

“We were at the hospital waiting when the neurologist called and told us not to leave,” her father remembers. “They had found something. It was the worst day of our lives.”

Olivia was sedated for an emergency brain biopsy. Hours later, doctors confirmed the unimaginable: she had a malignant brain tumor. The official diagnosis followed—bi-thalamic diffuse midline glioma with leptomeningeal disease—and with it, a prognosis of 9 to 24 months.

Trying to Protect Her Childhood

Explaining the diagnosis to Olivia wasn’t simple. Her parents chose gentle honesty. They told her she had a “boo boo” in her head and that the medicine might make her hair fall out—but that meant it was working. Her dad even shaved his own head in solidarity.

Despite her intelligence, Olivia has rarely asked questions about her treatment or the changes happening in her body. Her parents suspect that cognitive decline from the tumor has made her less aware. Even still, she never complains. Her quiet resilience leaves everyone around her in awe.

“She’s our inspiration,” her father says. “The things we used to complain about seem so small now. She’s helped us see everything differently.”

A Limited Path Forward

Olivia completed 2.5 weeks of radiation—a shorter course than most children with similar diagnoses receive. “We were told that 2.5 weeks was as effective as a longer course,” her father says. “But to us, it meant that the one treatment that might help was already limited.”

Hopes for a clinical trial were dashed when genetic testing revealed Olivia’s tumor was missing a common H3K marker. Without it, and given other factors, she wasn’t eligible for any existing studies. After much discussion and heartbreak, her parents accepted that their focus would shift to comfort and quality of life.

Now, Olivia takes a medication called osimertinib, a drug originally used to treat adults with lung cancer that has spread to the brain. In Olivia’s case, the hope is that it will slow tumor growth—but it is not a cure.

Strength in the Face of Decline

Physically, Olivia handled radiation like a warrior. She never once complained—not about early mornings, not about the hunger from skipping breakfast, not about the strange surroundings. Her strength was the glue holding her family together during those weeks.

Recently, her symptoms have worsened. Walking has become harder. Using her hands is more of a struggle. Her short-term memory is fading. And yet, she presses on—chasing Gabriel around the house, clinging to every ounce of joy and movement she still has.

Surrounded by Care and Love

The family is grateful to be near Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, where they’ve found incredible care and support. Olivia’s oncology team, along with palliative and hospice specialists, are walking this journey with them—compassionate, attentive, and deeply invested.

“We haven’t had to lean too heavily on palliative or hospice care yet,” her father says. “But we know they’re there. And every single person at Dell has been amazing. They feel like family.”

A Girl Who Teaches Us All

Through every twist and turn of this cruel diagnosis, Olivia continues to show grace, courage, and love. Whether she’s swinging in the sunshine, making her brother laugh, or flashing a brave smile during treatment, she reminds everyone around her of what really matters: love, family, and the joy of the moment.

She is, in every sense, a light in the dark—and a teacher of what it means to live with heart.

Update: Olivia recently celebrated her 5th birthday! She is still smiling and her most recent MRI and lab tests brought the best update her family could hope for: her tumor and labs remain stable.

This news is nothing short of a blessing for a little girl who has faced every challenge with unstoppable bravery and radiant joy. Olivia has been battling this aggressive brain cancer since January, meeting each treatment, test, and medication with her signature mix of fierceness, humor, and heart (always with Bluey playing in the background).

“She’s outgoing, hilarious, smart, and strong,” her father says. “Olivia just draws people in—it’s one of her many gifts.”

These days, Olivia is back in school, dreaming big and planning for all the things she’ll do and all the things she’ll be. Her smile continues to light the way forward, a powerful reminder that even in the face of unimaginable hardship, hope can shine bright.