Scott was born on May 15, 2000, to parents Brian and Brigit Kienhofer. He was the youngest of the family, with two older siblings – Natalie and Shaun. Growing up in Pleasanton, California, Scott loved sports, animals, and his family and friends. He played baseball and had an amazing pitching arm. During his teenage years, he became passionate about fishing at his family’s lake house in Clearlake. 

 

On May 1, 2017, at the age of 16, Scott was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. Stunned by the news, Brigit, Brian and his siblings were prepared to do anything and everything to support Scott through his treatment. Scott and his family spent the next 10 months in and out of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. Throughout his entire treatment, Scott never spent a moment alone.

 

A few weeks into his diagnosis, as he sat waiting for his chemo treatment, Scott was inspired to help every newly diagnosed pediatric cancer patient in the Bay Area. With the help of his family, he wanted to give gift baskets with goodies that would comfort children receiving treatment in the hospital. On May 27, 2017, Scott wrote a letter detailing his wishes and plans for these gift baskets. As the months went by, Scott focused all of his efforts on fighting cancer but still remained committed to his plans for helping others going through the same thing in the future. 

 

In October 2017, the Kienhofers were told that Scott’s best chance to beat cancer was to receive a bone marrow transplant. Both of Scott’s siblings were tested and prayed that they could be his donor. Natalie ended up being a perfect match, and on December 18, 2017, donated her bone marrow to Scott. He responded well to the bone marrow transplant and was able to go home in February for the first time in months. The Kienhofers were excited to have him back home, and Scott was ready to return to some sort of normalcy like sleeping in his bed, seeing his friends, and working on getting his strength back. 

 

During a regularly scheduled checkup on March 8, 2018, Scott relapsed. Shortly after, he passed away on March 12, 2018. Scott fought to his last breath and left behind a dream that the Kienhofers are proud to carry on. 

 

The letter that Scott wrote in May of 2017 became the guiding force for Scottie’s Gift Foundation. We now spend our days finding ways to fulfill Scott’s wish to bring love and joy to the kids and families who need it most. If you would like to help, please consider donating to Scottie’s Gift Foundation. 

 

Thank you - The Kienhofer Family