Mt. Prospect girl dies after battling rare cancer

The Eyles family will cherish the memories from their Thanksgiving this year above all others.

For that one day, 11-year-old Lindsey felt strong enough to leave her hospital bed and spend the holiday at home in Mount Prospect.

On Sunday morning, in the arms of parents Sue and Jeffrey and surrounded by family, Lindsey peacefully passed away. It was the end of a 20-month battle with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare cancer in which malignant tumors grow in bone or soft tissue.

“It really shocked us how fast she went downhill,” Jeffrey said Tuesday. “A week-and-a-half ago we were playing catch, but she started having difficulty breathing and then we saw her tumors had grown quite a bit.”

Lindsey, a perpetually happy child who will be remembered for her infectious smile, touched Daily Herald readers last month with the story of a special partnership.

The Prospect High School girls tennis team had learned about Lindsey and decided to “adopt” her as part of a new little sister program, inviting her to practice and attending one of her soccer matches. They also made blankets for both their new friend and Children's Memorial Hospital.

Lindsey looked forward to becoming a Knight also her parents' alma mater where she was sure to excel in gymnastics and soccer before moving on to a career as a doctor or fashion designer.

Lindsey also enjoyed Harry Potter books and dance, even meeting “Dancing with the Stars” competitors in Los Angeles through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“She was just a great kid,” Jeffrey said. “I'm amazed how everybody she ever met seems to have a story about her. That's how much she touched and inspired people.”

In addition to her loving parents, Lindsey is survived by younger siblings Sarah and Jack, grandparents Mary and Glenn Eyles and Thomas Culliton and the late Maria Culliton.

Visitation will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. Thursday at St. Raymond de Penafort Church, Elmhurst Road and Lincoln Street, Mount Prospect. A funeral Mass starts at 10 a.m. Friday at the church.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Lindsey Marie Eyles Trust to provide dance scholarships to students with financial constraints.