Former Chicago Bears running back Adrian Peterson holding his seven-year-old son A.J. (Photo Courtesy of GoFundMe)
Former Chicago Bears running back Adrian Peterson lost his seven-year-old son A.J. on Feb. 17 to a brain tumor known as Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, or DIPG.
Peterson, not to be confused with former Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who has the same name and who is currently suspended for disciplining his child, posted his son’s death on his Facebook page.
“#Ajsoars is in Heaven, where he belongs… #ajsoar #P3 #MyFirstSuperHero,” he wrote. These hashtags have become a symbol of support over the past week for Peterson and his family.
Peterson and his family made a GoFundMe page for A.J. in September, when they first received his diagnosis of DIPG. The online donation site saw 453 different people donate money in seven months, raising $44,189 out of the $50,000 goal they have set, as of Feb. 19.
“As a kid, I always thought that I could move a mountain with one push,” Peterson wrote on the page. “But over the past week, I have learned that with ‘help’ that mountain moves much easier.”
A.J.’s homegoing service will be held Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. at the Evergreen Missionary Baptist Church in Kingsland, Ga.