A Tragic Goodbye from a 6-Year Old to His Dying Sister
“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.”
This was the post shared by Matt Sooter on Facebook along with a photo of his 6-year old son saying goodbye to his sister, Add Joy. The tear-jerking post and photo touched millions of hearts around the world. People followed the battle of 4-year old with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a rare tumor which starts in the brainstem.
The 29-year-old father from Arkansas revealed the incident when Jackson said a final goodbye to his sister. Sooter told that Addy was tiring and it was time for Jackson to sleep close to his sister’s bedside. When Addy holds Jackson’s hand, he patted her forehead and said “I love you”.
Sooter captured this moment and posted it on Facebook on 2nd June. The heart-melting moment posted on social media has been shared widely by many people. He explained that the symptoms of his daughter were progressing quickly, so he asked his family members and close friends to say their goodbyes to Addy. He then urged to pray for their family, especially for Jackson.
Moreover, Jackson was aware that his sister was suffering from a tumor and if it will keep growing, she would not be able to survive. While Jackson was sad as his sister will not be with him anymore, however, he was happy that she would be with Jesus.
In an interview with The Washington Post on Tuesday, Sooter said that after 20 minutes of Jackson tucking his sister in, the breathing of Addy started to change. Her breathing became slower, more strenuous, and severely erratic. She tried to open her eyes a few time but she wasn’t consistent.
Both Sooter and his wife, Chandra, sat on either side of the bed of their daughter. Around 1 AM on June 3, Addy breathe her last. They woke up their son Jackson around 4 AM and decided to go home as there wasn’t any reason to stay at the hospice facility.
Following their daughter’s death, her father and mother decided to donate their daughter’s tumors to scientific research hoping it would help doctors find a cure for saving future children from having a similar fate. And, at Addy’s service Saturday in Rogers, the parents asked visitors to wear bright colors, especially Addy’s favorite colors – Blue, Pink, or Purple to celebrate her life.
We hope that Addy’s soul rests in peace and no parents, brother or sisters need to face what the Sooter family has gone through.
