A Mom from Perth has shared a heartwarming image of her 4-year-old son comforting his baby brother as he battles terminal cancer.
Sheryl Blanksby had absolutely no idea how to explain to her eldest son William, that his little baby brother Thomas, had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer which would eventually lead to his death.
Thomas was just six weeks old when doctors found a malignant rhabdoid tumor on a kidney, in his lungs and hip bone. They discovered this after having a skin lesion on his arm checked out.
However, since she explained to William that his 13-week-old brother was not going to live very long, the “strong-willed” and “loving” 4-year-old has left both Sheryl and her husband Jon speechless, by showing his sibling such compassion and understanding far beyond his years.
The Blanksby’s have been doing a lot of traveling around Australia to make the most of the little time they have with Thomas. They were met with a really heart-warming scene after leaving the two kids alone together while visiting Queensland.
She walked into the room expecting to find Thomas “covered in Nutella or something” but instead, found him in a loving embrace with his brother, who quietly comforted him as they lay on the lounge.
“Kuya (big brother) is here. Everything is ok,” that’s what William whispered to Thomas as he gently caressed his cheek.
The image has been shared online, inspiring heart-warming messages from people who have been touched by the fleeting moment of happiness despite the fear of losing young Thomas.
Sheryl wrote on Instagram that William is a superhero to his brother”Our Kuya William has been getting a lot of love from the recent photo I shared from our Family Trip in Queensland,”
“He is really a loving soul and I am so damn proud of him for the boy he is becoming. He’s a normal Threenager, strong willed and defiant, but he’s got the biggest heart and funniest laugh (not as funny as mine) and he sure got jokes to make everyone happy.”
Sheryl has shared a number of heart-warming pictures to her Instagram account which shows the tender moments the two brothers have shared since his birth and diagnosis.
“Oh darling, I’ll make it better,” Sheryl overheard William saying.
“The love he has for his baby brother grows deeper every day,” she said.
Even though Thomas showed no symptoms or signs of pain initially, he now struggles and often wakes up in pain.
However, Sheryl said she is focusing on the time they have together and learning to “cherish what’s now” instead of worrying what tomorrow may bring.
“Every second of life is precious and what’s important is “now”, this very second. This is what our Thomas is teaching me and will continue to teach me,” she wrote.