Onset teen who inspired community with fight against cancer has died

Jun 6, 2016

Trey Miranda, an Onset teenager who inspired all of Wareham with his fight against brain cancer, died Sunday night. He was 17 years old.

Deneen Rose, a close friend of the family, said Miranda showed strength throughout treatment.

“Everybody is afraid to die, everybody is afraid of disease. He knew what he had and he was very strong,” said Rose. “He fought like a trooper…he kept fighting.”

Miranda first underwent treatment for a brain tumor when he was 8 years old. Though the tumor was successfully removed, doctors warned there was a chance more tumors would follow.

In November 2015, Miranda started experiencing symptoms. He began a combination of radiation, chemotherapy and steroidal treatment at Boston Children’s Hospital. The regimen was designed to remove two Stage 4 (inoperable) tumors wrapped around his brain stem.

On Monday, Wareham High School Scott Palladino said grief counselors were made available to students. A moment of silence was held and Miranda’s favorite song was played over the public address system in his honor.

The school was the location of many fundraisers and rallies for Miranda. Palladino said he will be missed.

“We’re a very accepting school and very diverse. It was amazing to me, as a principal, to see students run with this. They’ve raised tens of thousands of dollars,” Palladino said.

With 550 kids in the high school, Palladino said students are a “tight knit group” and more “like a large family.”

“When one of us is down everyone is there to support,” he said.

Friends and family have posted condolences and memories to Miranda’s Facebook wall following the news.

“Trey Miranda just being himself has brought our community together,” wrote Larry Senna. “You have brought everyone together and made us all aware that cancer does not discriminate.”

High school students and the community at large rallied to raise funds and show their support in the previous year.

Dec. 17, 2015 was dubbed “Wear Grey for Trey Day” at the high school. On that day, approximately 90 percent of students packed into the gymnasium in support.

The fundraising effort originally began when the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) club at the school ordered 100 shirts emblazoned with “Trey 2-0,” signifying students’ belief their classmate would beat cancer a second time.

While being treated, Miranda received many visitors in Boston as classmates made frequent trips to the hospital.

Fundraising continued as classmates held Trey Miranda nights during basketball games in February where all proceeds went to Miranda’s medical costs.

At this time, a public memorial has not been scheduled, but Rose said plans are in the works and will be announced soon.