Livermore Boy Battling Leukemia Dies: ‘RIP, Valiant Warrior’

LIVERMORE, CA — He was a fighter. In the last three years, a 5-year-old Livermore boy endured more than most people do in their entire lives. Keegan Cowell-Lyons lost his battle with leukemia on Sunday.

Keegan was first diagnosed three months before his second birthday. On June 1, he celebrated his fifth and final birthday while at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center. According to his family members, even in his final days, the boy described as “stronger and braver than most adults,” talked about going back to school as soon as he got out of the hospital.

Keegan’s medical bills exceeded $12 million before he died. The Tri-Valley community rallied in a unique way to help Keegan’s family.

Courage, a 270-pound pig donated by Ty Cooper Allen, a 12-year-old Livermore boy, was auctioned for $108,000 during the livestock auction on July 3 at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton. Rita and Mike Garner, owners of American Truck and Trailer Body of Tracy, bought the pig, and an additional $42,281 in add-ons from the crowd brought the final total to a staggering $150,281.

Community members who witnessed the auction said the moment was overwhelming and ended with cheers and a standing ovation. The funds raised by the incredible sale of the Duroc pig will help his family with their expenses.

Full story:

• Incredible Pig Auction Nets Some Serious Bacon For Livermore Boy Battling Leukemia

On the Team Keegan! Facebook page, Jennifer Cowell, Keegan's aunt, said he was a “force to be reckoned with from the day he was born.”

“You have shown all of us what true courage, bravery, and strength look like,” Cowell wrote.

Family members say services for Keegan will be private. Click here to donate to Team Keegan.

Photo courtesy Team Keegan