PHOENIX (KNXV) – An Arizona family is turning their heartbreak over their 12-year-old son’s death from a brain aneurysm on Halloween into a life-changing gift for others.
Dylan Skalina, 12, suddenly collapsed last Friday after he finished trick-or-treating with friends. Doctors at Phoenix Children’s Hospital discovered he had suffered a brain aneurysm, and despite their best efforts, nothing more could be done.
Dylan would have turned 13 on Wednesday. Instead of cake and presents, his family and friends are remembering a boy who brought light wherever he went, describing him as “selfless” and “full of joy.”
In an extraordinary act of love, Dylan’s family decided to honor his giving spirit by choosing organ donation.
“He’s the best kid ever,” said Dylan’s best friend, Ella Frankncyk. “I hope so many other people can learn from his actions.”
Ella, who was with Dylan on Halloween, says that while she’s heartbroken by his death, his kindness didn’t stop with his final breath.
“She said, ‘We’re gonna donate his organs, right?’” said Megan Skalina, Dylan’s mother. “I said I hadn’t really thought about it, and she goes, ‘Well, I think that’s what he would want,’ and I said, ‘You’re exactly right. That’s what he would want.’”
Dylan’s organs and tissues will help more than 300 people. Even his pancreas, damaged by Type 1 diabetes, now carries purpose.
“We always joked he has a bum pancreas – nobody wants that, but to know that it’s going to research for Type 1 is so reassuring,” Skalina said.
Despite their heartbreaking loss, Dylan’s family and friends are finding comfort in knowing his final act will create countless new beginnings for families in need.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the Skalina family with medical and funeral expenses.
Copyright 2025 KNXV via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
