Logan Coyle, Port Washington boy who found joy in family and mascots during cancer treatment, dies at 10

When New York Presbyterian children’s hospital granted Logan Coyle one day outside — after a monthslong stay for liver cancer — the then-9-year-old was keen on making the most of it.

Upon arriving to his Port Washington home, he hid inside a cardboard box and jumped out to surprise his twin sister, Riley.

"She was shocked, ecstatic, because she's been asking for a long time ... when Logan would come back home," Rebecca Coyle, Logan and Riley’s mother, said.

The day was filled with sunshine, poolside conversations and visits from neighbors. At night, the Coyles returned to the hospital, catching the sight of fireworks while driving over the Throgs Neck Bridge.

Memories of Logan making the most out of life, relishing time with loved ones and his acts of selflessness, are what Rebecca and Jeff Coyle said they wanted the world to remember about their son, who died of hepatoblastoma, malignant liver cancer, on June 30 at their home. He was 10.

"He was just like everything you could ask for in a child," Jeff Coyle, Logan’s father told Newsday. "He was grateful. He was kind. He was a wonderful listener. He just found joy in every possible facet of life."

Logan was a person who never took things for granted, found contentment in "the simple things" and prioritized quality time with others.

"You could say ... 'Let's just go to the beach and throw rocks in the water.' He'd be like, 'Oh my God, that sounds so fun,'" Jeff Coyle said. "Any single thing was the greatest day for him, as long as he was doing it with you."

Logan and Riley were born at 28 weeks on May 13, 2016, at Stony Brook University Hospital. Riley was discharged from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit after 12 weeks, while Logan was transferred to and spent six months at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Rebecca and Jeff Coyle said that up until his cancer diagnosis, Logan was a healthy, social child who was "inhibited by nothing," thrived in school and led an adventure-filled life.

Year before diagnosis

The year preceding the diagnosis was the "best year of his life," as he swam in the ocean in Hawaii with family and skied in Utah, they said. Just before he was diagnosed in August 2024, he and Riley attended camp in the south of France, where Rebecca worked for a study abroad program.

Two weeks after returning from Europe, the Coyles took Logan to the emergency room after he experienced intense stomach pain.

At age 8, Logan was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer, where it was "inevitable" he would need a liver transplant, Jeff Coyle said.

Logan would go onto receive a series of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, endure countless hospital stays and multiple surgeries, including a multivisceral organ transplant of the liver, pancreas and small intestines in March of last year.

The Coyles said Logan accepted his diagnosis "graciously" and trusted in whatever had to be done.

During this time, Logan developed a fascination with mascots. After Rebecca Coyle posted a video of Logan expressing to connect with mascots across the country, he gained attention from national and international teams, with countless hospital visits, personalized gifts and invitations to games.

Rebecca Coyle said the relationships he formed with mascots became a source of strength and comfort for Logan. When undergoing a scary procedure or taking another trip to the emergency room, Logan would notify a mascot, who would in turn respond.

"They would be like, ‘Oh my God, Logan I’m so sorry,’" Jeff Coyle said.

"The mascots in their beautiful way, were able to like give him that validation and like cheer him on," Rebecca Coyle said.

Quality of care

The family said they were so grateful for the quality of care and attentiveness of the hospital staff, from keeping Logan’s spirits up while away from his sister, to providing friendship and understanding to Rebecca.

Logan began to receive palliative care in February at Cohen’s Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park to be closer to home.

Just before his 10th birthday, Logan was granted a Make-A-Wish shopping spree with an "incredibly generous spending limit." He purchased items for himself and other people, including an iPad for his sister and a necklace for one of his nurses.

Jeff Coyle said he is humbled at how many lives Logan touched on his journey, which is a testament to the legacy he leaves.

"He really was a very special, loving person," he said. "He was just happy to be a part of the journey."

Visitation for Logan was Friday at Fairchild Sons Funeral Chapel in Manhasset. A funeral Mass was celebrated Saturday at St. Peter of Alcantara Roman Catholic Church in Port Washington and interment was Saturday at Nassau Knolls Cemetery in Port Washington.