The couple died seven months apart, leaving behind four children.

Elaine and Scott Conley died just seven months apart, leaving behind four children. Their community is now in Topsfield, Massachusetts. wants to give children a bright future.

“It’s unfathomable… and so terrible,” said Elaine’s sister Diane Fucci, 58. TODAY.com.

Elaine, 52, died on October 26, 2024, more than a year after she was diagnosed with leukemia. Her death came about seven months after her husband Scott, 52, died of a heart attack on March 15, 2024.

Elaine, an occupational therapist, and Scott, 52, a detective with the Chelsea Police Department, had four children: twins Aidan and Max, 19, Kira, 15, and Shea, 11.

According to Fucci, Elaine was a “fun and easy-going” sister who loved animals.

“She was a five-year-old… growing up she had hamsters and mice,” she says, adding that as children, “we could get Elaine to do anything we wanted—if you planned for her to do it.”

Fucci adds, “Elaine was a cheerleader, a great dancer, and she had a quick and sometimes inappropriate sense of humor that we really enjoyed. She was a very kind person and her children were her world.”

Scott, on the other hand, was an Army Ranger turned police detective with a “strong personality” who was “always up for adventure,” Fucci says. “His biggest thing was taking the kids to Disneyland.”

Fucci told TODAY.com that Elaine was diagnosed with leukemia on Oct. 8, 2023, her and Scott’s 23rd wedding anniversary. “She hadn’t felt well in months, but she didn’t know if it was menopause,” Fucci says. One day, Elaine was hospitalized with heart pain and was diagnosed with a heart attack and then leukemia.

Elaine began chemotherapy and doctors suggested a bone marrow transplant as her best chance for a full recovery. Some of Elaine’s siblings were tested to determine a compatible donor, and Fucci was chosen.

Fucci jokes, “Elaine sent a message to me and our siblings that said, ‘Winner, winner of the chicken dinner… Diana is the winner.’

Elaine was hospitalized on March 23 for a bone marrow transplant (taking place the day after her birthday), and she tried to contact Scott at home. According to Fucci, he was not feeling well and was being treated for heart problems.

Concerned, Elaine sent a neighbor to check on Scott. He died in his sleep as a result of a heart attack.

The bone marrow transplant was pushed back to May while Elaine and her children dealt with Scott’s death. “Their little minds won’t be able to process it,” Fucci says, adding, “It’s just terrible.”

Fucci says Scott’s colleagues at the Chelsea Police Department had a “huge presence” at Scott’s funeral. She also thanks Topsfield police for their participation in escorting neighbors with Elaine and Scott’s children.

In the months following Elaine’s bone marrow transplant, she was in and out of the hospital with complications. “She couldn’t catch a break,” Fucci says. “Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for her. It was just terrible.”

On Oct. 21, the last week of her life, Elaine’s spirits were high, Fucci says, adding, “She was so happy to be home and we were sitting at the table and she was doing homework with Shea.” One night, Fucci heard Elaine calling for her. “She said, ‘I’m sick, I’m vomiting and… I have a headache… I just don’t feel well.’

Fucci called 911 and found Elaine unresponsive in the ambulance. A CT scan showed that Elaine had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. She died in hospital approximately 12 hours later.

“After all that struggle, that’s what really grabbed her,” Fucci says, adding, “It was shocking—it’s still surreal for any of us.”

Fucci says, “Elaine fought so hard all year to be here for her kids, and after Scott died, you really can’t think about it.”

Fucci says the family’s “incredible” community is supporting the grieving children.

“Halloween was always a big deal for Scott—he made all the pumpkins and was known for buying big candy bars at Costco,” Fucci says. “One of Elaine’s friends organized a pumpkin carving competition. There were probably 50 pumpkins… with tea lights” lining Scott and Elaine’s house.

“I cried my eyes out,” Fucci says. She says friends of Elaine and Scott’s children also delivered gifts such as stuffed animals, a scrapbook with sweet notes, skin care products, candy and gift cards.

Elaine’s wake and funeral were filled with children, Fucci said. “I have never seen such an outpouring of love.”

Fucci and her husband, who have two adult children, have custody of Elaine and Scott’s minor children, for whom people have donated more than $309,000 through GoFundMe. Fucci says her family plans to move from Lexington to Topsfield so her nieces and nephews can continue to attend their schools.

“Even with all that loss, I couldn’t let them take one more thing,” Fucci says, adding, “They’re strong and resilient kids, but it’s too much for them.”

Fucci says Elaine and Scott’s children are her “first priority.”

“We tell them that what they see is an outpouring of love… it is a reflection of who they are—and who their parents were.”