Calgary family finds comfort in birdwatching after son’s death

A Calgary family is turning to a birdwatching as a way to find comfort in the midst of unimaginable grief.

After a three-year battle, 12-year-old Easton Moppett-Beatch lost his life to a rare form of pediatric brain cancer in June.

His family has spent the last month honouring his legacy by participating in his favourite hobby.

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“He was always interested in birds, and being where we are in the northwest, there’s a lot of birds in our yard,” mom Amanda Moppett-Beatch said. “He loved seeing them.”

“[Birdwatching] is the ultimate scavenger hunt, and it got us out so much during those hard treatment years.”

Easton was focused on accomplishing “a big year” in 2025: a challenge to identify as many species as possible in a single calendar year.

That goal of 250 was shattered before December.

So, Easton set his sights even higher this year with a goal of 300.

He photographed 136 species before his death.

Before he passed, Easton’s sister Ellie promised him the family would finish photographing birds for him.

“It’s doing it for Easton,” Ellie told CTV News. “I feel like he’s proud of us for bringing it on, not just forgetting about him and forgetting about the birds.

“I think the birds just help us remember that he is always with us, and it kind of gives us a sign.”

The birdwatching is just one of the ways the Beatch family is honouring Easton.

They’ve also set out to raise money for paediatric cancer care and research, something they say is chronically underfunded and out-of-date.

“You don’t realize how archaic some cancer treatments are until, unfortunately, you’re put in the world,” dad Jeffrey said. “He did everything [we] asked him to do, and still [didn’t] win his battle.

“So, if we can help raise money so other kids don’t have to go through this, or so other families don’t have to go through this, that’s still really important to us.”

This Saturday, Easton will be honoured during a riderless bike ceremony before the Alberta Ride for Cancer in Strathmore.

The ceremony sees a bicycle without a rider led through the crowd.

Jeffrey has already raised more than $51,000 for the cause.

“Hopefully through more support, more awareness and more funding, more advancements can be made at a quicker pace,” he said.

As more funds are collected, the family will keep their son alive through the different birds they spot in his favourite places.

“I feel like [birding] did help extend his life because it gave him a purpose and something to work towards” Amanda said. “So now, we’re just taking things day by day, bird by bird.”

“You start to appreciate the beauty that he saw in the world he was in, where he still chose to find positivity,” Jeffrey added. “He still chose to get out there and fight, and to be happy.”