The poignant instance occurred as a 6-year-old boy bid his final goodnight to his younger sister, a touching moment that was captured on camera and has touched hearts across the globe.
Hailing from Arkansas, Matt Sooter took a photograph of his 4-year-old daughter, Adalynn, affectionately known as “Addy,” who had been diagnosed with an uncommon type of cancer.
In an emotional message, Matt expressed his sentiment, stating, “A young boy shouldn’t have to utter a farewell to his partner in mischief, his playmate, his closest companion, his little sister.”
The heartrending image garnered the reaction of over 8,000 individuals. Now, the parents are dedicated to raising awareness about this unusual ailment. The Sooter family’s world took a devastating turn when they received news in November 2016 that their daughter had Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), an infrequent tumor originating in the brainstem.
Ady was slated to endure 18 months with the advancing tumor until her condition deteriorated.
Matt delineated in a Facebook post how his four-year-old daughter’s health declined rapidly. “Ady’s symptoms have taken a swift downturn over the past day and a half. Only yesterday, she awoke with her spirited and playful self. Although glimpses of our daughter still shine through, she now struggles to eat or swallow and spends most of her time sleeping. We’ve admitted her for inpatient care. Regrettably, it appears her time is limited,” he conveyed on Facebook.
Her older brother, deeply attached to her, found it difficult to part from her side. Matt extended a heartfelt invitation through an emotionally charged post, welcoming friends and relatives who wished to offer their final farewells to their beloved daughter.
A short time after the tender goodnight exchanged between Jackson, the older brother, and his little sister, Ady peacefully passed away. Shortly after this, a post on the Facebook page “Hope for Addy Joy – Fighting DIPG” announced the sad news of her passing.
The family’s statement shared, “She transitioned from this life to the next much like the way she lived: with resilience and tranquility, enveloped by loved ones. Her final moments were devoid of pain,” the announcement disclosed.
“While this farewell is only temporary, the absence of our dear daughter is profoundly felt.”
In an act of compassion and altruism, the family decided to donate Ady’s tumors—both in her brain and spine—to scientific research, aiming to potentially spare other children from similar circumstances. “Our compassionate girl relished aiding others and bestowing gifts, and thus, we deemed this a fitting avenue to showcase her kind-heartedness,” the family conveyed in another Facebook post.
