Who was Avery the Poke Kid? Social media star, 12, dies after stage 4 pancreatic cancer battle: ‘Our beautiful boy…’

Avery the Poke Kid, a 12-year-old social media star with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, died on Friday, September 18. His parents, Christian Garcia and Rebecca Rosa-Valentin, shared in an Instagram post that their son “passed away suddenly” at 7 pm that day.

Who was Avery the Poke Kid? Social media star, 12, dies after stage 4 pancreatic cancer battle (averythepokekid/Instagram)“We don’t know how to write these words. We don’t know how this became our reality today,” they captioned the post, alongside a photo of themselves kissing Avery on each cheek.

“Although Avery had recently transitioned to hospice care, we truly believed we still had months with our little man. Today, we brought him to the hospital for what we thought would be a routine visit,” the grieving parents wrote. “We never imagined we would leave without him.”

“When we realized our time with Avery was coming to an end, we brought him to one of his favorite places at the hospital, the rooftop garden,” they continued. “We held our beautiful boy in our arms as a family. We kissed him. We told him how much we loved him. We told him how proud we were of him. And we stayed wrapped around him as he took his last breath.”

“For nearly eight years, we fought beside Avery with everything we had. Tonight, for the first time, we have to figure out how to exist in a world where we can’t bring him home with us,” Garcia and Rosa-Valentin wrote. “There are no words for that kind of pain.”

Avery was known for his Pokémon card content. In the post, his parents thanked his more than 200,000 social media followers for supporting him throughout his treatment.

“Thank you for loving our little boy. Thank you for praying for him, cheering for him, watching his videos and giving him a community that brought him so much happiness,” they wrote.

“As we begin to grieve and somehow learn how to live without Avery, we ask that you please give our family some privacy, time, and space to simply be together,” the post concluded. “Being Avery’s parents has been the greatest privilege of our lives. We would give anything for one more day. We love you forever, Avery.”

“Our handsome boy,” Garcia and Rosa-Valentin signed off their message. “See you next time, Trainer.”

Avery was diagnosed with pancreatoblastoma, a rare malignant tumor of the pancreas that is diagnosed most often in children under 10, nearly eight years ago. Following his diagnosis, he underwent several surgeries and radiation treatments, and even entered hospice on two other occasions.

Over the past year, Avery began sharing photos and videos on social media under the name “Avery the Poke Kid,” and documented his treatments and opened new Pokémon packs.

On September 17, a day before his death, Avery’s parents announced that he had entered hospice care for the third time. They wrote on social media that they were “choosing to be together as a family and cherish every moment we’re given.”

Avery’s parents also launched a GoFundMe to help cover the costs of his treatment.

Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More