Madeline Lucia Tarazi Obituary

Our beautiful Madeline became an angel of Heaven on Saturday, December 31, 2022 at 1:15 AM at Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC. She would have turned 15 this coming May, but her life was cut short by a brain tumor called DIPG. Her passing has been devastating especially for her 15-year-old sister Emily, her 5-year-old brother Jason Jr., her parents Jason and Evelyn, and both sets of grandparents. While we know that Madeline is roaming free in Heaven without any pain or discomfort, we will deeply miss her beauty, wit, sassiness, energy, smarts, smile, heart, silliness, and bubbly personality.

For 13 long months, Madeline fought courageously against DIPG, which stands for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma. DIPG is a very aggressive and deadly form of pediatric brain cancer that originates in the brain stem. There is no known cause, and no effective treatment protocol. Approximately 200 children are diagnosed with DIPG every year in the United States.

While it's important to understand what took Madeline's life, we don't want Madeline's legacy on Earth to be defined by DIPG. Instead, we want her legacy to be defined by her deeply-rooted faith, love for family, love for art, love for baking, love for plants and flowers, love for music, perseverance, and courageousness. Madeline was always a bright ray of light in The Tarazi Family home. She was not only Emily's younger sister, but also her best friend and they shared a very special and unbreakable bond. She was always brave enough to stick up for Emily and other friends whenever she was needed. Madeline also had a very deep connection with her paternal grandparents, Teita (grandma) and Jiddo (grandpa). They always called her "Boogie #2" since they have 3 grandchildren, and Madeline absolutely loved helping them care for their garden in the spring and summer. She was also Daddy's little girl and Mommy's "Madeline Cookie" and forever will be. Throughout her childhood, Madeline always loved dancing, singing, and playing musical instruments. She found her passion for cello in the 8th grade, and in May 2022 she attended the Spring String Thing at James Madison University with Emily. This was her first college dorm experience, and also a major performance accomplishment for her. When it comes to art, Madeline had the unique ability to multi-task by listening to a lecture and sketching at the same time, and she created some incredible pieces of artwork during those times (while always maintaining straight As). Part of Madeline's artistic talent also extended to acting and making countless videos with Emily throughout their childhood years, as well as knitting and making dozens of beaded necklaces and bracelets. Madeline's taste in music was incredibly eclectic and beyond her years in sophistication. She credits Daddy for getting her hooked on 80s music, but she also loved Nirvana, Oasis, Queen, David Bowie, Green Day, The Bee Gees, and many other legendary artists from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. She also loved Hamilton and knew all the songs like the back of her hand. She had the opportunity to see Hamilton at The Kennedy Center with Mommy and her sister in October; and that was a high point for her over the last year. Madeline also loved to bake — everything from cookies to banana bread — and she also looked forward to making homemade peppermint ice cream with Teita every Christmas. Madeline received the Sacrament of Baptism in 2008, the Sacrament of First Communion in 2016, and the Sacrament of Confirmation a mere 10 days before her diagnosis. Throughout her life she also shared a very special connection with her Godfather Bruce Oliver and her Godmother Nancy Oliver (RIP), and we know that Madeline is smiling in Heaven because we will be laying her to rest right next to Nancy at Fairfax Memorial Park. These sacraments and relationships helped to keep her faith unbreakable even during her final days, and she should always be remembered for being faithful and courageous throughout her life. We will all miss Madeline deeply, and we will always remember the memories we created with her over the last 14 years.

Even though the last 13 months of Madeline's life were very difficult, her bright light never died, and she stayed positive throughout her journey. After her November 2021 DIPG diagnosis, she underwent brain surgery for a tumor biopsy, received two separate rounds of radiation, and participated in two clinical trails. Ultimately, these efforts were unsuccessful in saving her precious life, and her neurological symptoms worsened shortly before Thanksgiving. Despite gradually losing the ability to walk, talk, and write, Madeline remained hopeful and faithful and continued to do many of the things she loved. She was an avid baker of cookies and banana bread, and she was also an excellent artist. In fact, she continued to draw, knit scarves and bags, and make beaded necklaces and bracelets until her hands no longer worked. Madeline loved playing cello, but unfortunately she could not do that when she started the 2022-2023 school year. However, she began high school via homebound, receiving instruction remotely through Zoom, and she was able to maintain straight As.

Madeline's perseverance and strength are shining examples for us all to follow when life gets tough. Bottom line, Madeline never gave up even as her health declined quickly in November. Moreover, Madeline's brilliance, wit, heart, and bubbly personality were positive influences on everyone she met, especially in her final day on Earth when she called her doctors into her hospital room to give them a thumbs-up and mouth the words "good job" even though she could no longer talk. Madeline touched so many people with her grace and love including family members, friends, teachers, doctors, and nurses. As she was dealing with the worst DIPG symptoms over the last 2 months, she continued to shine her light on everyone. Her faith was also very important to her, especially toward the end of her life when she was wheelchair-bound and still didn't want to miss Sunday Mass at The Basilica and lighting prayer candles.

In lieu of flowers or other gifts for Madeline's funeral and memorial services, we are requesting donations in Madeline's honor to Children's National Hospital Foundation to support DIPG research. Donations can be made through this link: https://giving.childrensnational.org a child is diagnosed with DIPG, the median survival time is 9 months, and almost no child lives longer than 2 years. The DIPG survival rate is effectively 0%. This is unacceptable and needs to change, but in order for that to happen, we desperately need to raise more funds for DIPG research. Unfortunately, these funds can be raised only through foundations or private donors. For us to defeat DIPG and find a cure, we need to increase the amount of research which will in turn yield an increase in the number of new clinical trials being opened for novel DIPG therapies. Madeline's brain and spine have been donated to Children's National Hospital to provide tumor and tissue samples that will advance DIPG research. We are asking others to join us with monetary donations in Madeline's honor. Every single dollar donated through this site will be used exclusively for DIPG research.

Thank you in advance for your generosity. If you would like to join us on Saturday January 14th to honor and celebrate Madeline's life, below are the details.

Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, Vienna, VA 10:00am to 11:00am - Open casket viewing in the chapel, 11:00am to 12:00pm - Funeral Mass in the sanctuary, 12:30pm - Funeral procession to the cemetery, Fairfax Memorial Park, Fairfax, VA 1:00pm to 1:30pm -.