Caitlin Diane Curtin, fondly nicknamed Caitie, was born on August 18th, 1987 to Jerry and Diane Curtin.  At the time, she was the youngest of four children.

Even as a young child, Caitlin had compassion and understanding beyond her years. Growing up, she loved Disney characters and stories such as, “The Lion King” and “The Little Mermaid," but most of all, she loved watching the “Three Stooges” with her dad.  She loved having fun and had a knack for making instant friends with her warm, inviting presence.

In the summer of 1992, Caitlin stopped eating normally and began to complain that her stomach was hurting. At the ER, Caitlin was diagnosed with a worm parasite from going to the beach, but an ultrasound one month later revealed a football-sized tumor in her abdomen. Just before her fifth birthday, Caitlin was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor.

Caitlin underwent chemotherapy, surgery and radiation during her treatment for Wilms’ tumor. After a year of treatment, she had nearly two years of good health. However, she was ultimately diagnosed with her secondary cancer (monosomy 7 myelodysplasia). Caitlin then spent three months at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, where she received a bone marrow transplant from her brother Kevin on her eighth birthday. After the transplant, Caitlin was in isolation to keep her from getting sick, where she relied on Barney for comfort. Caitlin was able to leave her room by Halloween, but was very sad that kids who couldn’t leave the hospital would not be able to trick-or-treat. With the help of Caitlin’s older sister, Kelly, Villa Joseph Marie High School organized trick-or-treating for the surgery and oncology department.  For the last 19 years since, the family’s parish youth group of Our Lady of Good Counsel has collected enough Halloween candy and treats for the entire hospital and CHOP clinics to allow pediatrics patients to trick-or-treat.

On May 8th 1996, Caitlin passed away. Every day, her siblings miss her, especially her “Irish twin” brother Dermot, with whom she was very close.  Caitlin's memory comes alive when Dermot recounts childhood antics adorned with a loving, reminiscent smile.  Conor Daniel Curtin, who shares Caitlin's initials and was born after her passing, raised money for pediatric cancer in memory of his sister, he never had the opportunity to meet. Caitlin’s mom says, “There is not a day where we do not think about her.”

Growing up, Caitlin dreamed of becoming a mom, as well as a teacher like her own mom. She was always concerned with the happiness of her fellow hospital friends, and loved befriending new patients at the clinic and hospital. She would always lend her toys to new patients in an effort to make them feel welcome, and always kept her friends company while they were doing their treatments. Caitlin was sweet to everyone she met, and loved having fellow patients come to her room to play board games.

Caitlin’s family continues to hope for an end to childhood cancer. They hosted two lemonade stands this year to honor Caitlin, one at her brother, Kevin’s house and the other at St. Katharine Drexel School to honor Caitlin on her birthday.  She would have been 28 years old this year.

Information provided by the Curtin Family
October 2015