Kyle Hickok, 12, loses battle for life
Kyle Hickok, a young Kalispell boy with a failing liver, died Monday in Seattle Children's Hospital after a hard-fought battle with multiple medical problems following numerous operations.
His parents, Lisa Vassar and Wayne Hickok, plan to schedule a memorial service within the next two weeks. They expected to return home Friday from Seattle.
Kyle, who turned 12 last month, was featured in a Daily Inter Lake article in March 2007 when his mother needed help to get him to Seattle if a liver donor became available. He was born with a clotted liver, a condition that caused the vital organ to slowly die and created myriad other complications.
He attended Edgerton School for kindergarten, then Russell Elementary School for the first, second and part of third grade when his health required that he study at home.
In an update in January, the Inter Lake reported that Kyle was hospitalized in Seattle for treatment of several brain aneurysms that developed as he waited for a new liver. His family hoped he would regain enough health to qualify for the liver transplant he needed to live.
Over almost four months, the young boy survived operations to treat his aneurysms, then developed complications such as infections and bleeding. But he fought back each time with his mother and many other family at his bedside.
Many people followed his mother's reports of Kyle's amazing will to live through the Web site caringbridge.org. His family, friends and strangers sent constant words of support and prayers for miracles.
In February, Kyle began to share with his mother that he was visited by angels that he described as both boys and girls, light blue, with wings. He said that they talked to him and watched over him.
His mother wrote that he flew away with his angels at 3:25 a.m. Monday. She held Kyle in her arms as his father and many other family members surrounded them in the final moments.
Lisa Vassar wrote the following on her Web-site journal:
"He looked his daddy in the eyes, closed them and I cuddled him, and talked to him, and touched him, and he went on to his angels, and his home with God very quietly, quickly and with all of his phenomenal grace, beauty."
People who would like to send cards may do so by addressing them to:
Lisa Vassar and Wayne Hickok
528 West Arizona
Kalispell, MT 59901
Along with his parents, Kyle is survived by his sister and brother, Kayden and Cole Vassar, grandmother Marlis Hoeldt and several aunts, uncles, cousins and other family.