The family of a 10-year-old girl who passed away from a rare form of brain cancer is hoping Vivian Sleeth’s celebration of life will be blanketed with people wearing blue or anything with dinosaurs on it.
“To honor Vivi,” read the obituary announcing the celebration recognizing the young girl’s “short but exceptional life.” It’s scheduled for Tuesday, July 29 at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church Merritt Island with a reception to follow. It’s likely to be filled with Vivian’s favorites: the color blue and dinosaurs.
Vivian passed away at home the morning of July 15 while her mom held her. One hand in her daughter’s hand, the other over her daughter’s heart.
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“I felt my baby’s final heartbeat and her last breath,” Brittany Sleeth wrote on social media Wednesday morning. “On July 15, 2025 at 10:17 a.m., my heart shattered. My baby Viv fought hard for 37 months and 6 days against DIPG.”
Vivian captured the hearts of many shortly after she was diagnosed with DIPG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma), a rare, aggressive pediatric brain cancer, in June 2022. At the time, doctors told Vivian’s mom to “go home and make memories.”
Large crowd expected at celebration of life for young cancer patient
The blue-eyed, courageous little girl “brought joy, laughter and love to everyone she met,” read her obituary. “She shined as a bright light everywhere she went.”
Vivian dreamed of being a law enforcement officer, and she was able to achieve that goal thanks to some local departments. She was sworn in as an honorary Brevard County Sherriff’s deputy, a firefighter with the Rockledge Fire Department and as an honorary Titusville Police officer and then promoted to honorary chief.
She also honorary press secretary at the White House for a press conference and received her school, Viera Elementary’s first ever Super Pride Award.
“Though her time with us was brief, her kindness and love touched the lives of many,” her obit read.
In lieu of flowers, Vivian’s mother and grandmother ask for donations to the Team Viv Venmo @Brittany-Sleeth-3 for the foundation the family plans to start to provide comfort and pampering to families fighting for the lives of their children battling DIPG.
Spitzer is a Trending Reporter. She can be reached at MSpitzer@.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Celebration of life planned for Vivian Sleeth, 10 year old who died from rare brain cancer
