A fearless and compassionate little girl is being remembered by the Brevard community following a more than three-year courageous battle with brain cancer.
Vivian Sleeth passed away Tuesday morning at her Rockledge home while being held by her mother, Brittany Sleeth. She was 10 years old.
“Her hand in mine and my other hand over her heart, wrapped so tight in my arms, I felt my baby’s final heartbeat and her last breath,” Brittany Sleeth wrote on social media Wednesday morning. “On July 15, 2025 at 10:17 a.m., my heart shattered. My baby Viv fought hard for 37 months and 6 days against DIPG.”
Vivian captured the hearts of many shortly after she was diagnosed with DIPG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma), a rare, aggressive pediatric brain cancer, in June 2022. At the time, doctors told Vivian’s mom to “go home and make memories.”
The little girl who loved dinosaurs, aspired to be a police officer and begged to go to school underwent numerous medical trials, procedures and cancer treatments to fight the beast invading her body. She lived life to the fullest, often telling her mom, “I’m fine” before running off to be with friends, climbing trees or hitting baseballs with her older brother.
Within hours of her mother’s posting about Vivian’s death, close to 600 people commented expressing condolences, love and support for the brave little girl’s family and friends.
Vivian’s short life, especially the last few years, were filled with experiences, many donated, to fill her life with joy. In March, she was able to be the “acting press secretary” at the White House for a press conference. She was honored at a Merritt Island High School baseball game by throwing out the first pitch.
She hosted lemonade stands to raise funds for DIPG research and held a community event where supporters donated money and shaved their heads with Vivian as treatments caused her hair to fall out.
“We share this news with the heaviest of hearts,” read a post from Vivian’s school, Viera Elementary. “The bravest little Falcon is flying high. Vivian, you are a ray of sunshine! We will miss your kindness and your infectious smile. We love you, sweet girl.”
Funeral plans have not been made public yet. Those wanting to support the family can purchase DoorDash and GrubHub gift cards rather than dropping off meals.
“It will be much easier on them to order food when they feel like eating, as at the current moment, the just don’t feel like much, and wouldn’t want to waste any food,” according to a Meal Train website set up to assist the family.
What is DIPG?
Only about 300 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with DIPG each year, according to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. DIPG is a highly aggressive, difficult-to-treat brain-stem tumor that is typically diagnosed in children ages 5 to 9.
The survival rate for DIPG is very low, and there is no cure, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital reports. Surgery is rarely an option due to the location of the tumor, and treatments include radiation and experimental chemotherapy.
Spitzer is a Trending Reporter. She can be reached at MSpitzer@Floridatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: ‘I felt my baby’s final heartbeat and her last breath’: Brevard girl, 10, dies from cancer
Reporting by Michelle Spitzer, Florida Today / Florida Today
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