Addison Leigh Smith "Addie" Moser

Addison "Addie" Leigh Smith Moser –

Addison passed away in her home surrounded by her siblings and loved family members around 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2016.

Addie was born on May 15, 2004 in the early morning at Community Medical Center in Missoula, Montana to Aaron Moser and Alison Smith-Moser, joining her four siblings, Alexander, Aidan, Anton and Anna.

Only months after she was born, the Moser family moved to Whitefish, Montana where they found a loving and embracing community. A year later, her mother was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor that eventually took her life. The Whitefish and Missoula communities embraced the family and supported them through this tragic loss. Addie's mom lost the battle when Addie was only two years old.

Returning to Missoula in 2007 to be closer to the extended Moser family, Addie was becoming a very playful and extremely curious little girl, with the ability to be loved by anyone she met. With the immense help from her aunt, grandparents, and surrounding friends in the Missoula area, Addie grew up fast with very many helping hands and loving hearts around her.

Due to unfortunate circumstances, Addie and her siblings lived with family and friends, her aunt Lisa Moser, grandparents Ron and Chantal Moser, Lisa and Dave Park and family, and Lucy France and Jon Kienberger and family around Missoula for brief stints of time throughout her elementary school years. These varied living arrangements illustrated how amazingly resilient and incredibly loving Addie was, creating so much space in her heart and in her life for those that helped her and her family in times of need.

In the summer of 2013, Addie slipped, fell and broke her scapula. In November of that same year, Addie was playing with friends in Whitefish when her shoulder started to hurt. Taken to the local hospital, Addie's X-Ray's looked strange and indicated that part of her scapula was missing. After two biopsies in Spokane and an infection leading her to a three-day stay in the hospital in Missoula, Addie was diagnosed with Gorham's Disease at just age nine.

Addie and her sister, Anna, moved in with Michal and Ryan Farley and their three children, Seamus, Elijah and Ardella in April of 2014. Anton and Aidan joined the family that summer. The following year was a time of adjustment, fun, and growth as once again Addie demonstrated her flexibility, strength, and resiliency. Addie started the fifth grade at Target Range School in the fall. She began learning the saxophone and piano, and began playing soccer. In the spring of 2015, Addie broke her clavicle playing soccer. This break was the first indication that Addie's rare disease was no longer in "remission".

Addie's clavicle was not able to heal and a large mass began to grown on her back and under her arm. Addie and Ryan flew to Denver, and after another MRI Addie was told she needed to go through out patient radiation treatment at the Children's Hospital of Colorado in Denver; Gorham's disease had taken the remaining left scapula as well as the newly broken clavicle and was quickly spreading to her neck and left ribcage. Addie spent six weeks in Denver, with her immediate family joining her for two of those weeks.

After being in Denver, Addie jumped right back in to playing outside with her friends, brothers and sisters, playing the piano, and going camping with her family. In the fall of 2015, Addie's disease progressed and changed, leading her left lung to collapse due to fluid build up in her chest cavity. Addie and Ryan spent three weeks in the Children's hospital in Denver before being flown back to Missoula to stay on the 3rd floor of Community Medical Center, where she received amazing care from the hospitalist and nurses there. Addie's disease was persistent and was not responding to any of the medications and treatments that were thought to be effective for those with Gorham's disease. During this time Michal and Addie had been reaching out to the Lymphatic and Gorham's Disease Alliance and support group. Through the love and support of that group, Michal was led to specialists at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. In December 2015, Addie and Ryan flew to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia where procedures were done to "plug the holes" in her lungs to restrict fluid build up. Addie stayed at CHOP for 10 weeks, where she developed a love for various flavored slushies and the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Michal and Ryan switched places numerous times, as well as receiving support from her "aunties," Lisa Park and Lucy France to come stay with her while Michal and Ryan could not.

February 24, 2016, while Addie was still at CHOP she was diagnosed with Angiosarcoma, a very rare and incurable cancer of the lining of the blood vessels. Five days later, Addie and Ryan were flown home to be with her family and friends back at Community Medical Center in Missoula. There Addie enjoyed A&W Root Beer, Caffe Dolce grilled cheese's, and being able to spend time with her siblings, cousins and family friends.


Finally, after five long months of living in a hospital room, Addie was able to come home to her family where she had two brief days of being surrounded by her loved ones before she flew up to heaven to join her mother and grandmothers.

Addie's short life was rocky, rough, and raw, but so amazingly beautiful, bright, and bountiful. Addie was spunky, creative, bright, and artistically and musically talented. She enjoyed spending time with people and loved animals, particularly her dog Kona. Addie loved playing and singing along to music, playing sports, being outside and surrounding herself with wonderful friends. Her smile lit up the room and her even more likable personality filled all the corners her smile couldn't reach.

Addie's story has touched many, many hearts and brought many people together. Her peace of mind and admirable strength has inspired so many. The Community that surrounded Addie and her family during this past year has been unimaginably amazing. The Lymphangiomatosis & Gorham's Disease Alliance Support Group has provided support, information, guidance and love.

Addie is survived by her adoptive parents, Michal and Ryan Farley; her father, Aaron Moser; her siblings, Alexander, Aidan, Anton, Anna, Seamus, Elijah, and Ardella; her paternal grandparents, Ron and Chantal Moser of Missoula; her aunt Lisa Moser; Uncle Joe Cregg; her cousins, Svea and Lily Cregg, and Taelen and Marakesh Lewis; along with many more uncles, aunts, and cousins as well as many, many, very close family friends who considered her their own.

For those who wish to honor Addie, the family asks that donations be made to Lymphangiomatosis & Gorham's Disease Alliance at https://www.lgdalliance.org.

Addie's celebration of life will be held at the UCC of Missoula, 401 University Way, on Wednesday, March 23rd at 4pm.

Cremation is under the care of Garden City Funeral Home & Crematory. Condolences may be left for the family at www.missoulafuneralhomes.com

Read Addison 'Addie' Moser's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.