At first, it seemed like three-year-old Nolan had a simple case of nasal congestion. But long after it should have cleared up, the situation only became worse.
And in the end, the boy’s parents, Ruth and Jonathan Scully, received a message that parents everywhere dread to hear: Nolan was suffering from rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
Only four years old, Nolan passed away in his mother’s arms.
However, it wasn’t Nolan’s long struggle with cancer that his mother, Ruth Scully, wrote about in a heartbreaking Facebook post. Her moving story details the last days of her son’s life.
Nolan’s doctors explained that it was no longer possible to treat the boy’s disease and that all they could do was try to make Nolan feel as comfortable as possible while his condition continued to deteriorate.
Then, during her last trip to the hospital, Ruth Scully shared a moment with her son that she’ll never forget.
I sat down with him and put my head up against his and had the following conversation:
Me: Poot, it hurts to breathe, doesn’t it?
Me: You’re in a lot of pain aren’t you, baby?
Nolan: (looking down) Yeah.
Me: Poot, this cancer stuff sucks. You don’t have to fight anymore.
Nolan: (Pure Happiness) I DONT??!! But I will for you, Mommy!!
Over the next few days, Nolan slept almost the whole time.
His parents decided to bring him home and spend one last night at home. But while his parents were packing, Nolan took his mother’s hand and said that it was okay to stay at the hospital.
“My four-year-old hero was trying to make sure things were easy for me,” Ruth Scully wrote on Facebook.
About 9:00 pm we were watching YouTube in bed (Peppa Pig actually) and I asked Nolan if I could get in the shower, as I was not allowed to leave him and Mommy had to be touching him at all times.
He said, “Ummmm okay, Mommy. Have Uncle Chris come sit with me and I’ll turn this way so I can see you.”
I stood at the bathroom door, turned to him and said, “Keep looking right here, Poot. I’ll be out in two seconds.”
When I opened the bathroom door, his team was surrounding his bed and every head turned and looked at me with tears in their eyes.
They said, “Ruth, he’s in a deep sleep. He can’t feel anything.” His respirations were extremely labored. His right lung had collapsed and his oxygen dropped.
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Over the next few days, Nolan slept almost the whole time.
His parents decided to bring him home and spend one last night at home. But while his parents were packing, Nolan took his mother’s hand and said that it was okay to stay at the hospital.
“My four-year-old hero was trying to make sure things were easy for me,” Ruth Scully wrote on Facebook.