Philomena “Bean” Stendardo was an 8‐year‐old child of God. Philomena was a one of a kind, spunky little firecracker, who had the gift of joy which allowed her to walk herself into the heart of everyone she met, without exception.

At such a young age, she was an exceptional athlete and mastered every sport she participated in.  She loved soccer and attended our Saint Joseph’s University Soccer Camps every summer from the time she was 5 years old.   She attended several camps and was named “Camper of the Week” multiple times.    Phil was always a camp favorite among the coaches and her peers!

On September 15, 2016, at the age of 7, Philomena was diagnosed with DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Giloma).  DIPG occurs when a tumor grows in the middle of the bottom part of the brain, an area that connects to the spinal cord. Philomena lost her battle to this uniformly fatal disease just 10 months later, on July 23, 2017.

During Bean’s life, she reached countless individuals and taught them to bring their faith to the forefront and ban together in prayer.  We are asking our SJU Soccer Family to ban together for donations to help put an end to DIPG through research and awareness.  DIPG has a 0% survival rate.  DIPG is a monster that kills every single child it touches. It’s time to ensure that “catching” this monster gets all the focus and funding required to do so. With your help, there will, someday, be a first to beat this disease, and there is no doubt we will be on the front lines, pushing our way through to that glorious day when we can finally say the “0%” is a thing of the past. Your contribution allows you to be right there with us, on the battlefield. Your contribution is how and why we can ensure that someday, every child will have the ability to grow up to be an adult.

Storm the Heavens was created by Mina Carroll and Mark Stendardo (parents of Philomena) to put an end to DIPG through prayer, research, and awareness.   100% of the donations made go to end the fight of DIPG.