In the quiet suburbs of Hillsborough, New Jersey, the Eick family became known not for ordinary life milestones, but for a remarkable — and heartbreaking — journey through one of the rarest and most devastating hereditary cancer syndromes: Constitutional Mismatch Repair Deficiency (CMMRD).
What Is CMMRD?
CMMRD is an exceptionally rare genetic condition that occurs when a child inherits two faulty copies of a DNA mismatch repair gene (such as MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, or PMS2), one from each parent. This leaves the body unable to properly fix DNA errors, dramatically increasing the risk of childhood cancers — particularly in the brain, blood, and gastrointestinal systems — often before adolescence.
Two Lives Bound by Courage
From the very beginning, Adeline Thea Eick was different. Born with CMMRD, she was at high risk for cancers that children rarely face. It wasn’t until March 2021 that her parents, Christine and Ed Eick, received the formal diagnosis — a revelation that marked the start of an intense and emotional medical journey.
At just three years old, Adeline was diagnosed with a grade III brain cancer, an anaplastic astrocytoma. The news hit the community hard. As her parents learned to navigate scans, surgeries, chemotherapy, and the unpredictability of this rare syndrome, they did so with fierce love and optimism.
Doctors told the family there was no cure for CMMRD — but fight they did. Every few months brought MRI scans, nerve-racking waits, and the hope that the next treatment would bring more time.
A Father’s Fight Alongside His Daughter
In a twist that seemed almost impossible, life tested the Eicks even more profoundly.
In October 2023, Ed — who had dedicated himself entirely to caring for Adeline — began experiencing troubling symptoms: losing his vision, bumping into walls, and difficulty walking. What began as stress-related explanations quickly escalated into something far more serious. An MRI revealed multiple brain tumors, and he was soon diagnosed with glioblastoma, a grade IV brain cancer — one of the most aggressive forms known.
Suddenly, father and daughter both were battling brain cancer — sharing not just love and family life, but matching scars from their surgeries and a mirrored walk through treatment. Through surgeries, chemo, and radiation, they faced each challenge side by side, learning from Adeline’s early experiences to shape Ed’s care.
Ed once described his reality with quiet, raw honesty: “We are in this as a family. No one fights alone.”
Moments of Joy in the Midst of Battle
Despite it all, Adeline’s spirit remained luminous. She loved life — from building blocks and walks outdoors to Disney games on her Xbox. Her joy and curiosity carried her through routine treatment visits, and her family worked to create moments of delight even when scans and procedures loomed.
She even got to enjoy a special Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World — a treasured memory her parents knew would last forever.
Grief — and Legacy
Tragically, Adeline’s courageous battle ended on November 14, 2025, when she died at age seven surrounded by her loving family. It was less than a year after her father, Ed, passed away in late 2024 following his own fight with glioblastoma.
Her mother, Christine, shared that Adeline’s final breath was peaceful — a sigh that, to her, seemed like a release from pain, as though her father had come to take her home.
A Family’s Impact
Though their time was heartbreakingly short, the Eicks left behind a legacy of strength and love that inspired countless people in their community and beyond. Their story reminded everyone that even rare diseases like CMMRD — conditions so severe that nearly every affected child develops multiple cancers in childhood — can illuminate extraordinary courage.
In lieu of flowers, the family asked for donations to Steps Together and Liv Like a Unicorn, organizations that had supported them and other families facing pediatric cancer.
If you’d like to know more about CMMRD, how families are supported, or how to help communities impacted by rare pediatric cancers, contact The Krishnan Family Foundation.
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