Carter Charles Rushton

Carter Charles Maddox Rushton of Chilliwack, BC passed away on October 4, 2024 at the age of 17 following an exceptionally brave and private battle with cancer. He was born March 12, 2007 in Chilliwack, BC and spent his life living in Yarrow with his older sisters, Taylor (23) and McKenna (21) and parents, Julie and Dave Rushton.

Carter changed our lives a lot. Taylor and McKenna were amazing big sisters, doting on him and often dressing him up. He frequently became any character they, and other close childhood friends, needed him to be in many home made videos filmed throughout the years. In addition to his sister's and many family friends, Carter was also very close with his cousins who lived nearby. They spent countless hours together in the cow field, competing in lawn mower races or spending time at McClary Stockyards.

While the girls both skied from a very early age, it felt like they didn't quite embrace the sport as much, until they realized they would need to chase and then attempt to beat Carter down the hill. The girls became amazing skiers, in large part, due to the influence of Carter. Mt Baker was the location of most of our families ski shenanigans and it will always continue to remain a second home for us. We love and appreciate all of the support the Mt Baker family has given us over the years.

Carter enjoyed so many sports, devoting himself in his earlier years to baseball and skiing but he enjoyed and excelled at many including dirt bike and mountain bike riding.

Carter was known for his grit, determination and commitment to those things he loved to do (sports, trucks, and farming). He very rarely sat still and his continuous sugar buzz, led to us referring to him as our little hummingbird.

Despite being given his terminal diagnosis in May 2023, Carter committed himself to many things to keep himself busy including working on a dairy farm, restoring an old 1977 square body Chevy, working on a major head gasket repair on his '05 Duramax, and completing high school. He graduated from Sardis Secondary, one year early, in June 2024. Carter was very fortunate to spend much of his last year in the company of a few very amazing friends to whom we will always be very grateful.

Following graduation, he followed his passion of operating tractors and various other farm equipment, and chose to move to Alberta to seek out their wide open spaces and opportunity for harvesting. Carter returned home after a month or so and spent his final month with all of us.

While his sisters had moved away to pursue post-secondary schooling and employment, they both returned home frequently over the years to enjoy family time together and to spend as much time with Carter as possible. We were very fortunate to be together for several weeks before his passing. We were also surrounded by many close family and friends.

Carter is predeceased by his aunty, Anita Lewis, great grandparents, Mollie and Ernie Rushton, Marj and Art McClary, Katherine and Cornelius Martens, and Carolyn and Peter Doerksen, and grandmother, Sheila Rushton. Carter was very close with Sheila, known as big Grandma, who lived with us in her final years. Carter, who was only ten at the time of her death, was instrumental in caring for her and entertaining her after school for many years.

Carter is survived by a very large extended family and an amazing group of friends who will continue to miss him greatly.

Our family would like to thank Ronald McDonald House for the amazing support they offered during the earlier period of Carter's first diagnosis in 2021, to Canuck Place for their care and compassion they showed Carter and our family in his final days, allowing him to stay at home with us, and also to the amazing doctors and nurses at BC Children's Hospital, especially Dr. Clarkson, the surgeon who replaced his femur and hip, allowing him to ski a little longer, Dr. Cheng, who supported us throughout, and Emily Jewels, nurse clinician, who provided so much wisdom and emotional support throughout the entire period. I will be forever grateful to her.

Our family would also like to thank all of our extended family and friends for the outpouring of love our family has received since Carter's initial diagnosis, those people in our close circle who were aware of the return of his illness in May 2023, and all of those who have sent us flowers, gifts, and beautiful messages since learning first of Carter's poor health and then his passing. In lieu of other gifts or flowers, we respectfully request that you consider making a donation in his honour to Ronald McDonald House, Canuck Place or BC Children's Hospital. A memorial fundraising page has been set up with each organization.

Carter leaves behind him a legacy of living life to the fullest. I hope that all of us he has left behind can honour his memory by doing our best to do the same.