An utterly heartbreaking photo has emerged of a young boy comforting his sister as she succumbed to an aggressive form of cancer. Back in November 2016, Adalynn Joy Sooter doctors found a tumor in her brain — she was given just months to live.
How Incurable Cancer Has Transformed This Christian Professor’s Faith
When “Addy’s” parents noticed that their 2-year-old had a “hitch” in her step, they didn’t think too much of it. But it worsened, and when it became clear that she was unable to hold her fork properly, it sparked major concern.
Doctors eventually discovered a tumor on her brain stem and diagnosed her with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG. DIPG is an extremely dangerous, fast-growing form of cancer and is incredibly difficult to treat.
“If your child is diagnosed with a DIPG, having surgery to remove the tumor may not always be a viable option due to the dangers of operating on critical areas of the brain,” notes The Brain Tumor Charity.
Still, Addy underwent radiation treatments and the tumor shrank to half its size. Unfortunately, it came back and in July 2017, and doctors informed the toddler’s family that there was nothing more they could do for her.
Earlier this month, Addy tragically passed away at age 4.
“At 1:04 a.m. Our sweet little girl received the miraculous healing that we’ve all been praying for for so long and ran into the arms of Jesus,” Matt Sooter, Addy’s dad, posted to Facebook on June 3.
“She passed from this life to the next just as she had lived: stubbornly but also peacefully, and surrounded by family. She wasn’t in any pain at the end. For those who were wishing to say goodbye I’m so sorry. This all happened so much faster than we expected, but that in itself is a blessing because she suffered so little at the end. … Thank you for being a part of our little girl’s miracle. While this is only goodbye for now we miss our baby girl terribly.”
“Always remember: God is in this situation, He’s up to something, and He’s up to something GOOD,” the message concluded.
Sooter also shared a photo that is absolutely heart-wrenching to look at. It shows Addy with her brother, Jackson, as he prepares to say his goodbyes to his beloved sister.
A little boy should not have to say goodbye to his partner in crime, his play mate, his best friend, his little sister….
Posted by Matt Sooter on Saturday, June 2, 2018
“A little boy should not have to say goodbye to his partner in crime, his play mate, his best friend, his little sister. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. But this is the broken world we live in,” Sooter wrote in a separate post shortly before Addy passed.
“Pray for Jackson. He doesn’t want to leave her side and we won’t make him. Pray for us. That we have the right words and can make the necessary arrangements in time.”
Pray for this dear family as they grieve the loss of their precious little girl.