The Beacons Collective

09/28/2026

Layla’s Sanctuary: She now has a sanctuary all her own. I returned to the ocean on Friday for the first time in 5-years. I buried a snippet of her hair and one of her Monarch Butterflies at a spot I deemed to be her “final resting place.” I searched all day for the right spot and found it on the 3rd and final dive. It is beautiful and the true beauty of it is, anyone can see it, adult or child, diver or not, on scuba or by free dive / snorkel. It sits in about 20-ft of water. I buried her hair, containing her DNA, here, as mentioned. Well, she, and the Garibaldi had other ideas 10-mins after I placed it. It appeared out of nowhere and I was right where it did. I did not expect to see it. I didn’t bury it where this is. Wait for the end, as this is now, Layla’s Sanctuary. I’ll take anyone who wants to go see it and every year now, there will be a trip out where 20+ divers will be hand in hand surrounding her, in the shape of a heart. Imagine it as this now special place is revealed toward the end followed by a quick hello from her. We never did allow anyone to be at her burial, for specific reasons. So now, those that wanted a specific spot to go to, to feel her, here it is. And only her favorite boat, which she was buried at sea on, will take you there, at Los Coronados Islands, Mexico, Middle Grounds Dive Site.

09/22/2026

What do you get when you take a documentary like Planet Earth but tell it in the Top Gear / Gran Tour format? Layla’s world and something wildly entertaining, visually stunning, audibly rousing, and award winning.

It’s Planet Earth meets Top Gear, meets Cancer Revengers, meets Good Will Hunting and Patch Adams who somehow had a baby and apparently it is me, with way more than just a splash of Top Gun, and yes, there will be fighter pilots, a Tomcat, and a bit of space too.

We will be in nature with wildlife, featuring dazzling blue chip IMAX certified cinematography, stories with environmental scientists and then a seamless transition from the wild, to labs and clinics in Boston with my favorite front line Cancer superheroes, all of whom loved Layla dearly and fought ferociously alongside her in the trenches, for years.

What we see is what you will get and this won’t be based on a true story, every thing you see will be held to one standard above all, complete truth.

Eight years in the making from when I first had the idea, before she was diagnosed, the last 14-months crafting the details and format to incorporate the cancer world, Layla’s story will finally be told, concluding with her final message to the world. You’ve wondered how we did it, now you’ll get to see it as well as come live on the journey with us because the story is still unfolding and building every day.

Conversations with major studios, major brands, and others, are actively ongoing and increasing. I want to thank Daysun Perkins for helping craft the story with me, the feel and tone / keeping my head on straight, as well as my two favorite Andy B Casagrande IV Tracy Fanara, PhD on screen talent / co-knuckleheads who I look forward to sharing the adventures with, and Jonathan Jones as well for keeping this a secret and following this as it unfolds.

It is my honor to announce Layla’s film, because after all she now is, the Monarch of the Sea.

We miss you every minute of every day, kid.

07/23/2025

Save Sharks, Kill Cancer! Link in profile! If it is July, it is sharks, and shark week. This year, we are proud to introduce the “Layla Bracelets for the Ocean: Lucy Edition.” For every bracelet purchased, which comes with a sterling silver replica of the world famous great white shark, Lucy, we will donate 10% to shark research, with Marine Conservation Science Institute, and 10% to the cancer lab in Boston, helping kids like our beloved Layla, who lost her battle with brain cancer earlier this year. There are six oceanic bracelet bead styles to choose from and extra animal charms, such as sea lions and butterflies, to purchase to deck out your bracelets. Bracelets are up to 20% off through the end of shark week. Get yours today and by doing so, help the very finest researchers in their fields help sharks and kids with brain cancer. ♋

07/16/2025

Save sharks, kill cancer! What a win-win! These bracelets are super cool, get yours!

Layla is battling an extremely rare and aggressive brain cancer, a high grade (WHO III) anaplastic supratentorial ependymoma. Less than 200 people per year get this type of brain cancer and to make matters worse, she has a rare strain. Our goal is to help Layla, and to help other children with your....

12/13/2023

The CBS8 story was great and we are thrilled to be here, but it has come at an astounding financial toll, to the point that we have tough decisions to make, and very likely selling the house Layla grew up in is the next move. We created a gofundme to capture support from the CBS story but have been encouraged to be open to the fact that we are staring down the barrel of this. We would welcome your support as unfortunately, this human world is all about money, sadly. The world shouldn’t be this way, but it is. You shouldn’t have to give up every damn aspect of your life to care for these kids, but I did.

I have done nothing but focus on Layla for the last 18-19 months and I will continue to do nothing but. I would not change a damn thing because if I did, she’d be dead. Let me say that again, Layla would be dead and it is painfully obvious. If we end up having to sell the house, as early as March, you all know me, we will just do it. But even that will be a distraction and I wonder as well as fear what that would do to her. If you’d like to once again contribute to Layla’s care, and that is 100% what it directly goes to, we would be again forever grateful. Many more details are at her new gofundme page, address noted on the bottom of the attached flyer as well as in comments below.

Oh, and today is the 1-year anniversary of her leaving the hospital, discharged, and we have kept her out ever since, sleeping where she should be, in her cozy bed and not in some damn hospital. Let me put it another way. She was given 3-6 months to live and for 12-months, 365-days, she didn’t even spend a night in any damn hospital anywhere. And that 3-6 months, well that was 18 months and 7-days ago.

This generic cancer fusion she has is the school yard bully. It’s the biggest kid on the school yard. He’s never been in a fight in his entire life until now because Layla just kicked him in the balls.

It is time to finish the job.

05/13/2023

Tonight is the night on NatGeo Wild! 9PM ET / 6PM PT

07/13/2022

You don’t get much more epic BTS than this. and I on a private client shoot way back when. 2 for 1 great white sharks all day long 🇲🇽