It is a mother’s greatest fear to have to watch the very same child she gave life to have their life be taken away by illness, and not be able to do anything about it. Statistics from the American Cancer Society (ACS) suggest men have a 40.14 percent chance of getting the disease, while women’s odds are 38.7 percent. Despite the odds being so high, no one is ever fully prepared to hear the words and know that their days are numbered, especially not a child.
Yet for Nolan Scully, not only was he able to handle the news of his sickness with bravery, but he also wanted to make sure to make his parents feel comforted too. What he did for his mother before passing was equally heartwarming as it was heartbreaking.
News No One Deserves To Hear
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Humankind has made a lot of progress in science and medicine and has found ways to prevent and treat the death of many innocent victims that illnesses once claimed. Yet sadly, despite the better odds we have grown to develop, Cancer is still one of the hardest diseases to fight and despite the treatments we have available, some people still have their bodies give up on them and lose their battles to it.
Nolan was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer that affects soft tissue, when he was only three years. He had barely lived long enough to experience the joy of playing outside and being a child and he already didn’t have enough energy to be himself through the chemotherapy.
Then, The Cancer Got Worse
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Just when the family thought that they were going through the worst of it, the day came when his parents received the worst news any parent could bear. The doctors told them that the Cancer was spreading too fast in their son’s body, and there was nothing they could do about it. This means that even treatment wouldn’t work. Nolan was dying.
The parents couldn’t cope with the fact that the situation was completely outside of their control. They wished that there was something they could do to keep their little boy, or at least to ease his suffering. They also were dreading having to break the news to their child, who barely even could understand the limits of life and death. yet, to their surprise, when they explained to Nolan that his fight was over, his mother remembers that he felt immediate relief.
Fighting For His Mother
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Nolan explained to his parents that the reason he had been fighting was that he felt like they needed him to, but he was glad to no longer have to. He was asked: “Is that what you have been doing?? Fighting for Mommy??” The four-year-old’s response was: “Well DUH!!”
Ruth then asked her son what her job was as his mom, to which he said, “To keep me SAFE! (With a big smile)” His response made Ruth’s heartbreak on the spot and all she could say to him was: “Honey … I can’t do that anymore here. The only way I can keep you safe is in Heaven.”
Waiting In Heaven
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Nolan was years beyond his age. His mother likely felt extreme guilt, especially when having to explain to her son that she failed in her duty to protect him, but he completely reassured her with the most heartbreaking response.
Nolan looked at his mother and said: “Sooooo I’ll just go to Heaven and play until you get there! You’ll come, right?” From that point on Nolan’s life was about living as comfortably and as happily as possible for the remainder of his short time in this world.
Nolan Always Knew How To Comfort His Mother
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Nolan spent his last days trying to use whatever energy he could master to play with his family and make lasting memories to leave them with, and take with him into heaven. Even though in the back of their minds they knew that the clock was ticking, Ruth remembers that Nolan never showed signs of struggle:
“My 4-year-old Hero was trying to make sure things were easy for me.” For a while things seemed bearable, until the night Nolan’s health took a turn for the worst.
Nolan’s Last Moments
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Nolan went into a coma and had to be transported to the hospital. His health was quickly declining and his lung collapsed. His mother was by his side at every moment:
“I ran and jumped into bed with him and put my hand on the right side of his face. Then a miracle that I will never forget happened…My angel took a breath, opened his eyes, smiled at me, and said ‘I Love You, Mommy.’” He then passed away as she was singing You Are My Sunshine in his ear. “He woke up out of a coma to say he loved me with a smile on his face! My son died a Hero.”
How Nolan Wants Us To Remember Him
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Ruth wrote in a post on a Facebook page dedicated to Nolan that she considered Nolan’s final goodbye to be a miracle that she cherished. It’s like he knew that she needed to hear him say that he loved one last time and that he was able to break out of his coma just in time to say goodbye.
Ruth remembers that her son ” brought Communities together, different occupations, made a difference in people’s lives.” As for himself, he wanted to be a policeman and hopes to be remembered as such. He wanted everyone to be happy at his funeral. “All Nolan ever wanted to do was to serve and protect others, he did just that all the way up to his last breath and continues to do so every day,” his mother wrote. “He loved his family fiercely and every one of his friends!”
The Purpose of His Story
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By sharing his story, Ruth hoped for two things. She wants to keep her son’s memory and legacy alive but she also hopes that others will learn from it. She hopes his story will raise awareness. about the disease. “We didn’t fail him, it was medicine that failed him.
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