Silas loves fun and is so brave, he can even climb the tallest trees at just 5 years old. He has plenty of different interests whether it’s cooking or singing and dancing to his favorite songs – currently The Greatest Showman soundtrack. Silas is incredibly friendly, but also introverted, so he’ll retreat to his room occasionally to read and recharge in silence. He has an appetite for knowledge too; he constantly asks questions and shares the answers with anyone around. His biggest passion is superheroes (Captain America is his favorite). He’s so dedicated to wearing a superhero suit, he’ll sport one even if his mom makes him wear regular clothes over it.
One of Silas’s strongest powers is being a supportive SuperSib to his 3-year-old brother Toby, who was diagnosed with T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It’s been hard on Silas to have Toby sick, plus he has to spend lots of time with his friends while his parents are with Toby in the hospital. It broke his parents’ heart when Silas had to leave the hospital during Toby’s treatment. He always wanted to be there for Toby, often saying, “No, I can’t leave! I have to be with my brother, he needs me!”
When he’s home, Silas helps Toby take his medicine, but definitely misses playing with his brother when he isn’t feeling up to it. He loves going to Toby’s appointments with him and talking with the doctors or nurses before watching a movie cuddled next to Toby in his hospital bed. Since Toby’s port is in the center of his chest, Silas tells everyone his brother is just like Iron Man.
His parents do their best to try and spend one-on-one time with Silas, but taking Toby to appointments takes up lots of time. Still, Silas always appreciates those special occasions whether it is coffee dates and shopping with mom or going to the park, library or Home Depot with dad. He also loves spending time with his grandparents or just normal playtime at home with Toby.
One of the things that continues to impress his parents is his caring and giving spirit. He loves getting others thoughtful gifts, like when he picked out a play pizza set for his brother because he knows Toby loves pizza and likes to pretend to cook. He even begged to buy an Elsa dress, from the movie Frozen, for his friend because, “She has an Anna dress, but needs an Elsa dress and it would make her so excited!” His parents couldn’t say no to that, and his friend was over the moon when she opened it. They’re so amazed how much he cares for others and remembers little details he can use to make them smile.
The SuperSib surprises in the mail always make Silas happy. His family also had a blast hosting a lemonade stand and collected over $700 for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. The fire department even showed up to buy lemonade and let the boys sit in their truck.
Information provided by Elizabeth Urlaub, Silas’s mom
