“His friends have shown us what true love and friendship looks like after loss,” Taylor Church tells PEOPLE
Credit: Courtesy of Taylor Church
NEED TO KNOW
- After Sean “Buddy” Sabulsky died from cancer on Mother’s Day in 2024, his closest friends made it a tradition to continue showing up for his family
- Each year, they surprise his mom on Mother’s Day to honor Sean’s memory and remind her she is not alone in her grief
- Their loyalty reflects the lasting impact Sean had on everyone around him
Sean Sabulsky was only 17 when he died from a rare form of bone cancer on Mother’s Day in 2024, but the impact he left on the people around him continues to live on in powerful ways.
Known to family and friends as “Buddy,” Sean was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma at age 13. During treatment, he was surrounded by his parents, older sisters Taylor Church and Jennifer Sabulsky, and a tight-knit group of friends who had grown up beside him since childhood.
Now, every Mother’s Day since his death, those same friends have returned to surprise Sean’s mother — not out of obligation, but out of love for the boy who changed their lives.
“A simple visit with flowers, a text or remembering someone’s name can mean more than people realize,” Church, 27, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “His friends have shown us what true love and friendship looks like after loss.”
@taychurchh
happy Mother’s Day, mom. 🤍🪽 #griefandloss #mothersday #siblingloss #lovelivesontiktok #griefawareness
♬ original sound – Taylor Church
Diagnosed in January 2020, Sean endured years of treatments while continuing to pour his energy into the people around him. To his family, he was more than a son or brother — he was the center of so many of their happiest memories.
“Our brother had the kind of personality that could light up an entire room,” Church explains. “He was hilarious, outgoing and could make anyone laugh, no matter how hard of a day you were having.”
Even during the hardest stages of his illness, Sean’s focus rarely stayed on himself.
“He was more focused on making other people smile and feel loved,” Church shares. “He was an incredibly strong person and never gave up. He wasn’t just our little brother, he was our best friend.”
Credit: Courtesy of Taylor Church
Sean was especially close with his longtime friends — many of whom had known him since elementary school through activities like basketball and baseball. According to his family, “they truly loved one another like family.”
That bond became even more evident during Sean’s final days. As loved ones gathered to say goodbye, his home was filled with people wanting to spend one last moment with him.
“Our front yard, backyard and home were filled with people who loved him,” Church recalls. “So many of his friends came to our house to be by his side until the end.”
Credit: Courtesy of Taylor Church
For the family, watching those friendships surround Sean brought comfort during unimaginable heartbreak.
“Seeing how loyal his friends were during the hardest moment of our lives showed the kind of person Buddy was and how he impacted so many people around him,” Church emphasizes. “Even at 17 years old, he had built friendships so deep.”
Still, losing him left a void that his family continues to carry every day.
“One of the hardest parts of losing him was seeing how badly he wanted to stay and continue living,” Church admits. “He taught us to appreciate the time we have, to be present and never take your loved ones for granted.”
Credit: Courtesy of Taylor Church
Last year, on Mother’s Day and near the first anniversary of Sean's death, his friends surprised his mother by showing up to support her — and this year, they did it again.
“When she got home from the store, the boys were all piled into the living room waiting for her. When she saw them, she instantly started crying and was in shock to see them,” Church says.
The gesture may have seemed simple, but to Sean’s family, it meant everything. “When they are around, their love makes the grief feel less overwhelming and less alone,” she explains.
Today, Sean’s memory continues through annual fundraisers and a scholarship created in his honor. Every September, the family raises money for local children with cancer, continuing a tradition Sean started himself.
“Sean had such a caring heart that for his birthdays, instead of wanting gifts for himself, he loved running fundraisers for kids at the children’s hospital here in Columbus,” Church reveals. “That was just the kind of person he was.”
Credit: Courtesy of Taylor Church
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For his family, the continued presence of Sean’s friends is proof that the love he gave to others never disappeared.
“Grief can feel very lonely after time passes and life moves forward for everyone else, but his friends have never let his memory fade,” Church tells PEOPLE. “The fact that they still honor him, check on our family, and make sure my mom feels loved means more than I could ever explain.”
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