Teenage Boy Took His 10-Year-Old Sister With Leukemia To His School Dance Before She Passed Away
May 29, 2019 by apost team
It is always tragic when someone is diagnosed with cancer. But when the victim of the horrible disease is a child, the diagnosis is a little more heartbreaking.
Physicians are often able to return pediatric cancer victims to health. However, there are times when it becomes evident the young life will be lost to the disease.
The Spader family lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. When the family received the news they would lose one of their children to cancer, they decided something special must be done.
Rebecca Spader learned she had myelodysplastic syndrome at the age of six. The syndrome is not cancer but has the potential to cause its victims to develop leukemia.
Rebecca underwent a bone marrow transplant and the Spader family prayed this would restore the young girl's health. The procedure was a little more risky than usual due to the nervous system disorder also suffered by Rebecca.
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According to the Daily Mail, The transplant was unsuccessful and Rebecca's illness rapidly progressed. Though no one wanted to be first to say it, everyone involved knew the child's days were numbered.
The Spader family saw no reason than to draw out painful treatments that would not improve Rebecca's condition. They decided to end the treatments and instead focus on helping Rebecca enjoy all the days she had left on earth to the fullest.
Her older brother, A.J., decided to do something that touched everyone.
The fifteen-year-old high school freshman decided his sister would accompany him to his formal dance. Rebecca was ten years old at the time. Their parents were proud of their son's decision.
Rebecca's mother, Stephanie Spader, explains every young girl enjoys dressing up and being beautiful. Her father, Tony, says it was a true joy to see her getting ready for the dance. 'She was all smiles,' he recalls.
A.J. brought many viewers to tears when he explained on video why he asked his sister to the dance. He explained it is not likely she will get to attend high school so he wanted her to experience a formal dance.
"Her laugh is pretty great, It’s really fun to just be around her and just make memories," AJ told KSFY. "I want to spend as much time with her as possible while she's still doing good,"
The siblings attended the dance together on Valentine's day and had a blast. Unfortunately, it was to be one of their last moments together. Rebecca died six months later on August 4th.
Were you able to keep a dry eye while watching the video of Rebecca and A.J.? Let us know in the comments - and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family.