About Sean Bass
Sean Bass was best known for being a loving husband and dedicated father. He lived purposefully, worked hard and didn’t sweat the little things that life threw at him. Then everything changed in 2011.
Sean and I got married in 1998 and had three beautiful children together — Griffin, Lucas and Evyn. Our lives were busy but we always had fun and our family was at the center of our universe. Sean coached all of our children in soccer, basketball and baseball leagues in our small Manchester, Maryland community. Our weekends were filled with our kid’s sporting events, hiking trips and time spent with extended family. Sean and I envisioned a long life together where we would watch our three children grow up and have families of their own. Then we would travel and see the world together.
In July 2011, at the age of 45, Sean was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Sean’s medical team attributed his getting AML to chemotherapy he received in 1997 for Hodgkin’s disease.
Sean immediately began inpatient treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital under the care of Dr. Judith Karp, a pioneering expert in the field. From July through March, Sean endured constant visits and long stays at the hospital. He fought hard and never complained about the abrupt, painful and scary turn his life had taken.
We never gave up hope that Sean would recover and our lives would return to normal. We knew from the beginning that the odds were against a cure or even remission, but Sean was a rock star and overcame many obstacles during treatment. His repeated defiance of the odds kept everyone’s hope alive for a full recovery.
During this time, our friends and family and the community of Manchester were absolutely amazing. The support and love that we received was extraordinary. From help with childcare, meals and transportation to financial support and even a blood drive held in Sean’s honor, everyone stepped up and made this time bearable for our family.
Having this support made it possible for Sean to focus on getting well and for me to be his constant caretaker, advocate and friend. I did not want him to feel like he was alone in the battle for a second. The security provided by friends and family offered stability and support during a time of utter chaos.
Throughout that 8 ½ months, Sean and I spoke endlessly about how remarkably fortunate we were to be surrounded by so much love and support. We talked about giving back once all the leukemia nonsense was over and done with. During our time at Johns Hopkins, we met several families who were not as fortunate as we were, families who were fighting the battle on their own, who didn’t have the dedicated following that Sean had.
On March 14, 2012, Sean passed away peacefully at the hospital surrounded by his family. Shortly before Sean’s death, I promised him that he would not be forgotten, that people would know about the positive impacts he had in his short time here on Earth. I promised him that our three children would grow up knowing what an incredible human being their father was.
Sean wanted his children to go on and do great things. He said he did not want them to use this as a crutch — never allowing the loss of their father at a young age to be a reason for them not to succeed. In that spirit, the Strong4Sean Foundation was created. Part of the impetus for the Foundation is to remind Griffin, Lucas and Evyn that they must remain strong for their dad, to encourage them to work hard and to maintain his legacy of strength, courage, perseverance and community service. The Strong4Sean Foundation will be the vehicle by which Sean is able to give back for all the support he received during his battle.
— Lisa Bass
“To those who have the misfortune to die young, history assigns the role of inspirer.”
-Daniel J. Boorstin