Just two days after his 15th birthday, BJ Correll died from the “most curable” childhood cancer in the world. BJ fought pre-B cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) for 3 1/2 years, but ultimately lost his battle March 6, 2016.

A freshman at North Lincoln High School in Denver, NC, BJ loved fishing and sports –  especially basketball and football. This led him to take advantage of every possible opportunity to be outdoors. His positive attitude and courageous spirit were inspiring, gaining him fans from around the globe on his Facebook page, Cure For BJ Round 2.

In December 2015, U.S. Navy SEAL Team 8 named him an Honorary Navy SEAL because of his character and spirit. He was a true warrior in his fight against cancer, and he fought to shine the light of his faith throughout his battle.

In the early weeks of 2016, and after nearly three months in the hospital, they received several outside referrals to a local integrative medicine physician. A short time later, after 90 consecutive days inpatient and exhausting all standard treatment options, BJ was discharged home with a transfer of care to Kid's Path (Hospice).

Within a week of being home, BJ was able to see the integrative medicine physician. BJ's body was ravaged from years of chemotherapy, a cutting-edge clinical trial and two rounds of a new immunotherapy treatment, but his family still had hope. The physician cautioned that BJ’s case was severe, but said he thought he could help. Ultimately, BJ developed a severe systemic infection and passed away a few days later, just 15 days after being discharged from the hospital.

Even after BJ's death, his mother Michelle, and sister Carly felt there was purpose behind being directed toward an integrative medicine path. The more they read, the more they were convinced that standard chemotherapy is not the only option or the final answer for cancer treatment. They believed that at a minimum, there were adjunct methods to help the body get through harsh treatments.

BJ was also passionate and active in his push for the National Cancer Institute to allocate more than 4% of its funding to childhood cancer research. Six months after BJ died, his mother and sister founded the Stand Firm Warrior Foundation. The name embodies BJ's warrior stance against pediatric cancer as well as his strong faith in God's plan, regardless of circumstance or outcome.