"So everyone knew what it means to have a daughter with cancer." This is the answer to the questions we ask ourselves when we see the photo of little Jessica, 4, suffering the pain of a disease that was ending her: Why take that picture suffering? Why share it?
And not with any bad intention, not to annoy, but to show a reality that exists and that deserves a lot of struggle on the part of everyone: childhood cancer continues to destroy families, continues to put a brake on the lives of those who have more ahead, and Somehow, we can all contribute something. As Andy, his father says: "No family deserves to go through this hell".
A year fighting the disease
His name is Jessica Whelan, and her situation has become known after her father shared this very hard picture of the girl, with a gesture of pain and a tear running down her face, on the days when her health began to get worse. I think it goes without saying that anyone, and especially those of us who have small children, will feel pain when they see it.
As we read in DailyMail, his terrible story began in September of last year, when he was diagnosed with an advanced-stage neuroblastoma. From that moment, they created a campaign in GoFundMe to pay for the treatments and to make their life as good as possible, and their father opened a Facebook page to go telling the progress and experiences of the girl, and their thoughts and feelings as relatives
Following the photo, donations began to arrive unstoppably, and today they are more than 97 thousand pounds What they have achieved for the cause.
But Jessica started to get worse
However, the little girl was getting worse. His health status was no longer the same and I was starting to suffer. Then his father took this photo, the one on the cover, to have it in his memory, so as not to forget how hard it was being for them and for their daughter ... and especially for look at her when doubts come for having chosen to stop the treatments. And when they saw that there was no possible cure, and that everything they did for her was going to lengthen her pain and agony, they decided to stop fighting so that I could rest easy.
After doing it, although it was not the first intention, he decided to share it. He decided to do it to show the other side of childhood cancer. Because just as the images of sick children smiling are immortalized, he thought that the darkest face, that of the suffering of children and their families, should also be shown, in a situation that nobody deserves to live.
Because everyone knows that it is a disease that exists, but most think (he said) that that will never happen to us. Until it happens, and then you realize that there is still no treatment, no cure, and that much remains to be done.
So, yesterday, his father updated the Facebook page to explain that at seven in the morning "Jessica finally found peace." And he added, in an emotional statement, the following:
He no longer suffers, he no longer feels the pain of the physical limitations of his body. Now my princess has grown her angel wings and has risen to play with her friends and loved ones. Now he will watch from above for his little brother and for ourselves, until one day we meet again.
Last night he finally allowed me to have her in my arms and we hugged each other, and I told him how much I loved her.
I told him again that I was fine if I closed my eyes to sleep, and kissed his forehead and lips several times.
It seems that this was what she needed to finally find comfort in the step she should take, since only eight hours passed from that hug until she took her last breath.
She was a daddy's girl from the beginning and she was until the last moment.
I feel as if a huge part of me has been torn from me, but I am glad I could give him this peace of mind in his last hours.
She has gone calmly and calmly, without even a murmur.
Thanks to all who have shared and have been part of our trip.
I ask you now privacy for us and our family, to mourn the loss of our beautiful princess.
On the part of the dad, with a broken heart, of the most amazing and beautiful girl.
They will dedicate the obtained to the investigation
As we read on their GoFundMe page, they have decided to give the money earned for childhood cancer research, hoping to get fewer and fewer children and families go through something like that.
In Spain, for example, we have the possibility of collaborating with the organization Children against cancer, who even offer the possibility of participating in a teaming campaign (each person donates 1 euro per month for the cause, so that with little, participating many people, great things can be achieved). And we also have the Pablo Ugarte Association, where donations can also be made for childhood cancer research.
