Bailey Cooper, a nine-year-old boy, was diagnosed with Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2016.
It was news no parent should ever hear and a diagnosis no child should ever receive.
All of a sudden, Bailey’s young life changed drastically. He replaced the children games with long hospital visits and exhausting treatment.
Hope was high, and for a fleeting moment, it seemed like a victory: Bailey’s cancer had gone into remission. But sadly, that moment was short-lived.
He returned to school and everything seemed perfectly fine, until the family received another blow. Bailey’s cancer returned, and with that came mor chemotherapy and more hospital visits. Luckily, just like the first time, this brave young boy beat the evil disease for the second time.
And just when the family believed the ordeal was behind them, the cancer returned for the third time, and this time, the prognosis was grim.
“[The consultant] broke the news to us,” said Bailey’s father, Lee. “It was late Stage Four, and it was even worse. It was very aggressive.”
The cancer had spread quickly. Doctors found lumps in Bailey’s chest, lungs, liver, and stomach. They gave him days, maybe weeks, to live.
When he was told the heartbreaking news, Bailey was devastated, but he was also determined to live to meet his baby sister, who was due a few months later. Everyone prayed he would make it that long.
Amazingly, the little boy proved to be a fighter. In November, he got to hold his newborn sister in his arms. His parents even let him choose her name: Millie.
“He hugged her and did everything an older brother would do — change her, wash her, sing to her,” said Bailey’s mother, Rachel.
After Millie’s birth, Bailey’s health deteriorated.
Hoping they could enjoy one last Christmas together, Bailey’s parents asked him to make a list of the gifts he wanted. True to the selflessness he’d shown throughout his illness, Bailey requested presents he knew his younger brother Riley would love.
Shortly before Christmas, the extended family gathered at the house to say their farewells. As his grandmother wept and told him she wished she could take his place, he told her, “That is really selfish Nan. You have grandchildren to take care of.”
When the cancer reached Bailey’s brain, he was forced to endure five painful days of radiotherapy, and that’s when he told his family it was time for them to let him go.
“I want to stay but it’s my time to go, to become her guardian angel,” Bailey said, speaking of his baby sister.
On December 22, Bailey became unresponsive as the cancer took over his tiny body.
His family stayed by his side as he slowly passed away.
“We sat there hour by hour, watching him slip away,” Rachel said. “We read him stories and listened to his favorite music.
“By 11:45 a.m. on Christmas Eve, we were by his bedside. We knew it was not going to be long. We told him ‘It’s time to go Bailey. Stop.’”
At that moment, a single tear slipped out of Bailey’s eye. He took his final breath and peacefully passed away.
Losing their child was devastating and it broke the family’s hearts into a million pieces, but they all knew that Bailey was finally at peace.
“We are numb, but in a way also happy he is no longer in pain,” Lee said.
The family now tries to follow the wishes of their young son, who was wise beyond his years.
“He told us in our last family meeting: ‘You’re only allowed to cry for 20 minutes,” Rachel said. “You have to take care of Riley and Millie.”
This boy’s story is a heartbreaking and tragic one, but his courage, strength, and positivity in the face of pain and hardship continue to inspire people around the world. While his family grieves his loss, they know his light and legacy will continue to live on.
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Love and Peace