6-Year-Old Brother Doesn’t Want to Leave Dying Sister and Comforts Her for the Last Time

Death is an inevitable occurrence. However, the pain of losing a loved one can’t be quantified. While some people are taken unaware by a family member’s death, others are blessed to say their goodbyes. The latter was the case of a six-year-old boy in this story. Find out more!

Of all the possible childhood tragedies, losing a sister or brother to early death is almost too awful to contemplate. The immediate effects of a sibling’s death are apparent to all, but the consequences are more than emotional and can last for decades.

When death takes a person’s brother or sister, it also takes away one of their connections to the past. The death of a sibling at any age profoundly changes the lives of surviving siblings. But children who lose a sibling often face long-term challenges that differ from adults who lose a sibling.

Many of them may not understand death in every sense of the word, but it doesn’t rid them of the emptiness, regret, loneliness, and sadness they feel. 

Thankfully, some kids are the opportunity to spend their sibling’s last days with them and have beautiful memories to hold on to after they are gone.

The above was the case of six-year-old Jackson, who was privileged to spend his little sister’s final moments with her beside her bedside. The picture that captured the priceless moment went viral, and netizens could not get enough of the sweetness. Here are the details of the story.

INSIDE ADDY’S TERRIBLE DIAGNOSIS 

On November 12, 2016, Adalynn “Addy” Sooter was only two years old when diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma — an incurable tumor that begins in the brainstem. 

Before the diagnosis, the little girl’s parents, Matt and Chandra Sooter had noticed a change in their daughter’s walking pattern. According to the father, Addy would swing one of her legs rather than pick it up.

At first, they paid no attention to the change until things worsened. Addy could not walk except she was held, and she lost coordination. So, after taking the little girl to the hospital and running some tests, the family received a heart-wrenching diagnosis.

INSIDE ADDY’S BATTLE WITH CANCER 

The doctors also gave Addy a few months to live while they did everything to help her. So, the little girl underwent radiation treatments and chemotherapy for the months that followed. 

At some point, Addy’s progress shocked the doctors and her family as the tumor began to shrink, but the joy was short-lived.  Eventually, the tumor spread to her spine, and the doctors explained that they could no longer help the little girl.

So, Addy’s parents flew her to Mexico, where she received experimental treatment for about $150,000. Sadly, the treatment was ineffective, and the tumor in Addy’s spine began to cause her pain.

At that point, Matt said he knew his daughter would not be alive for long. So, they enjoyed the little time they had left with Addy. Eventually, the little girl’s health depreciated further, and she was kept in hospice care.

There, Addy was surrounded by family, including her six-year-old brother, Jackson. The siblings would interact for a while until it was bedtime. Then, the time came for Jackson to say his final goodbye to his baby sister.

THE VIRAL POST 

Jackson was seen holding his sister’s hand, patting her head, and saying, “I love you.” Matt captured the beautiful moment and shared it On Facebook, alongside a caption that read:

“A little boy should not have to say goodbye to his partner in crime, his playmate, his best friend, his little sister. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. But this is the broken world we live in.”

“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,” he concluded.

In a previous Facebook post, Matt had explained that the family had been spending the past few weeks “trying to live it up and have fun.” “We went to the beach thanks to some dear friends! We’ve spent time playing with family and friends and just enjoying our time together,” Matt wrote.

Sadly, at 1:04 a.m. on June 3, 2018, Addy passed away. The parents informed Jackson about his sister’s death, noting that she was with Jesus, and the little boy said, “Goodbye, Sissy.” Following her death, Addy’s father said the family missed her, but they were at peace. In his words:

“We miss her terribly, but we’re also at peace knowing we did everything we could to try to help her and that she isn’t in pain anymore. It was only, ‘See you later.’ We’ll see her again someday.”

EMMA AND LILY SAY GOODBYE TO THEIR MOM

Emma and Lily Creekmore felt the same pain as Matt and his family when they lost their mother, Trisha, to breast cancer on October 18, 2012. 

Two days before Trisha died, the girls said their goodbyes with heartwarming poems. In the video that captured the emotional moment, Emma walked up to Trisha and read the beautiful words. After hearing Emma’s words, Trisha hugged her daughter and said:

“Oh my God, you’re the best baby ever.”

After Emma’s presentation, Lily followed suit, and their mother’s reaction was not any different. Although it was difficult for the girls, who were in tears, sharing those final moments with their mom meant the world to them.

Anomama