A heart-wrenching photograph of a girl comforting her 4-year-old brother while he is sick from chemotherapy has stuck a chord with thousands across the world. The picture was shared by their mother Kaitlin Burge, 28, of Texas, USA, in a powerful post about how childhood cancer impacts the whole family.
In the photograph, Beckett Burge, who suffers from leukemia, is comforted by his 5-year-old sister, Aubrey, as the side effects of chemotherapy disrupt their playtime.
According to Fox News, Beckett was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in April 2018. The 4-year-old underwent chemotherapy, blood transfusions and platelet transfusions during a one-month-long stay at the hospital before he came home.
"One thing they don't tell you about childhood cancer is that it affects the entire family," wrote Kaitlin Burge while sharing the photograph on Facebook last Tuesday.
"My two kids, 15 months apart, went from playing in school and at home together to sitting in a cold hospital room together."
In her post, she spoke about how her daughter watched Beckett go from a "lively, energetic" boy to a "quiet, sick, and very sleepy little boy" and how the change affected the whole family.
"She didn't understand how he was able to walk before this, but now he can't even stand unassisted," wrote their mother.
According to the Sun, Kaitlin said that after the picture, Aubrey washed her brother's hands and carried him to the couch before offering to clean the bathroom.
"They have an incredible bond. To this day, they are closer, she always takes care of him," said Kaitlin.
Take a look at the post below:
The post has collected over 5,000 comments and more than 34,000 shares.
"As heartbreaking as the reality of it is, it's also so beautiful to see the pure love that your babies have for one another," wrote one person in the comments section. "After reading this and seeing the pictures, the tears won't stop. You have very brave children," said another.
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