Siya’s Story

On December 29th, 2023 Siya Singla was diagnosed with DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma), an inoperable, cancerous brain tumor found in the pons, part of the brainstem on the lower back of the brain, near the top of the spinal cord.

Just one week before, Siya complained about double vision and episodes of dizziness and headaches. After multiple doctor’s visits and an MRI Scan, Siya was diagnosed with DIPG, a diagnosis that came with a 0% survival rate and no definitive treatment options. 

Siya was a very artistic girl who loved to sing. She would sing soft melodies like an angel, and went from singing in the shower to giving performances, with dreams of one day appearing on America’s Got Talent. She also enjoyed dancing and gave many performances on stage since she was just 5 years old. 

Siya was a kind and a compassionate girl always extending a helping hand to those in need. She believed in equality and at such a young age could stand tall stressing the importance of equality. She was ambitious and smart, constantly pushing her boundaries and setting new goals for herself. 

It was her creativity that truly set her apart. She chose to spend most of her free time making art, either making colorful drawings showcasing her personality traits or vibrant paintings that would light up any room they were placed in. Whenever she’d finish a piece, she’d always proudly show it off to her family, and then put it in her room for decoration along with her other pieces. Her art would also frequently be exhibited in our town’s art gallery. When not making art, she’d spend her time reading books like the Percy Jackson series or finishing episodes of Outer Banks or Gilmore Girls. 

It’s unbelievable to think about how disciplined she was. Even if she didn’t have school, she’d have her alarm set for 7 am, ready to start the day off strong. She was an incredible tennis player, spending hours practicing daily and competing in tournaments every weekend. At her peak, she was in the top 20 in New Jersey for her grade. She was also incredibly smart, and was a part of the Westfield Gifted and Talented Program. 

Her favorite color was Turquoise. She loved buying clothes from Athleta and Hollister, and kept a pretty large collection of soaps and skincare products from Sephora and Bath and Body Works. Her favorite food was definitely sushi, and she always enjoyed her avocado or sweet potato tempura rolls. And we can’t forget to mention how much she loved her stuffed animals.

Through her war against DIPG, Siya kept strong and brave through each battle. At the beginning when she struggled to keep balance and see clearly, she still wanted to attend school, which at the time was 7th grade at Edison Intermediate School in Westfield, NJ, without any aid or accommodations. Even though they offered her accommodations for testing and classes, she didn’t take them and wanted to do everything her friends were doing.

Later on, when she was busy with radiation and had to switch to online classes, she still was always dedicated to completing her homework without any external pressure. She couldn’t move or write with her right hand, so she would type her answers with her left hand, and even learned to write with her left hand. She’d use her left hand to write her work for her Geometry problems and then type the answers in.

Over a quick few months, she had the ability to walk and stand up on her own taken away from her. Yet, she persevered through the disease’s limits and made every effort to walk and stand up on her own. First, she was always determined to walk upstairs to her room each night. And after she couldn’t walk at all, she still tried to get up from the wheelchair herself when she had the chance, and then walk around with only a little support from the dining table she grabbed onto. 

Ultimately, she lost the ability to speak and could barely see anything at all. Yet, she still made every effort to communicate with us, either by nodding or giving us a thumbs up or down. Until the very last day, she still laughed at our jokes and smiled through her pain. 

She was brave and fought for her life till the last breath. She, before and after her disease was diagnosed, taught many life lessons to her family members and those very close to her. She would smile even when the disease had crippled her with the inability to move, control her neck, speak or swallow. 

On January 4th, 2025, 1 year and 7 days after she was diagnosed, Siya left us for heaven. 

While we are heartbroken that Siya left us so soon, we are committed, motivated and driven to fight back against the monster that took her life so young and have made it our mission to help fulfill our vow to Siya, that we would fight for a cure.

The Siya Smiles DIPG Foundation was established in her honor and our goal is to honor Siya’s legacy and fight, share her story and find a cure for DIPG.