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Gretchen Rossi Announces That Slade Smiley’s Son, Grayson, Has Passed Away Following Cancer Battle
RHOC alum Gretchen Rossi referred to her fiancé's son as "an incredible warrior" following his passing.
Slade Smiley's youngest son, Grayson Arroyo-Smiley, has passed away at the age of 22 following a long battle with brain cancer.
Slade's fiancé, The Real Housewives of Orange County alum Gretchen Rossi, mourned the loss of Grayson on Instagram on February 7.
"Our rational minds told us this day might come, but our hearts always held onto the hope that this day would not come to fruition," she wrote in the caption of her post, which featured a carousel of photos of Grayson with Slade, his other son Gavin, herself, and her daughter, Skylar Gray Smiley. "We are beyond devastated and heartbroken over the loss of Gray."
Gretchen went on to say that Grayson was "such a special human being," "an angel on this Earth," and "an incredible warrior."
"He fought everyday through his pain and discomfort to find joy in the smallest of things," she added. "He was always singing [and] dancing [and] laughing despite his circumstances. He was a true beacon of light and hope."
Gretchen noted that her fiancé's son "made an incredible impact on so many people," and that their family was "forever grateful" for all of the lessons that they learned from his "beautiful spirit."
"This isn’t goodbye but rather see you soon little man... We love you Grayson. You will forever be in our hearts," Gretchen concluded, adding a message asking for fans to respect their family's privacy as they "mourn this unbearable loss."
Grayson's mother, Michelle Arroyo, mourned his "unexpected" passing on her Instagram feed on February 6.
"I don’t have all the answers now, but I do know that the last few months with fevers, infection, and low potassium most likely took a toll on my sweet boys heart," Michelle wrote about her son's February 5 passing. "I’m still in shock and going through the motions of dealing with all the details..."
Grayson was first diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in 2006, just days before he turned 6. Michelle regularly shared updates on Grayson's health online, and Slade also spoke about his son's cancer battle throughout the years.
