It is an imaginable pain no parent should ever have to face.
But a mom-of-two has bravely documented her little girl’s last days, saying she hopes it will help other grieving parents while raising awareness about her illness.
Two-year-old Ava fought a long battle with rhabdomyosarcoma stage four cancer after being diagnosed at just 13 months old.
On her final day, the toddler was so weak she struggled to talk.
But a sweet moment with her mom, Maggie, has captured the hearts of more than 26 million people around the world after it was shared to TikTok.
In the heart-wrenching video taken the day before she died, Ava smiled at her mom before singing her favorite song gently.
“I love you, you love me, we’re a happy family. With a great big hug and a kiss from me…won’t you say you love me too,” the precious girl sang between tired breaths.
“The day before Ava passed, she couldn’t walk, sit up and could barely talk but she still wanted to tell me that she loved me,” Maggie wrote.
Ava bravely fought her cancer with aggressive chemo treatment and had spent more than half her life in hospital before being declared cancer-free.
However, she relapsed in July this year.
“The tumour in her brain is about 8cm big, she cannot get it removed because it would do more harm than good and they wouldn’t be able to get all of it,” Maggie shared at the time.
“As her mum and as her advocate, the person who loves her more than anybody in this world, we’ve made the decision to put her in hospice, she will no longer be getting treated, we will no longer be taking extraordinary measures.
“We will just let her live her life and enjoy her and do all the things that we’ve ever wanted to do with her. We’ve made a bucket list for her.”
On August 22, Maggie shared the news with their followers that Ava had passed away in her arms.
“My heart will forever be broken, it will never be the same, but I promised her that I will live for her,” she shared.
“Life isn’t supposed to be like this, parents should never plan a funeral, pick a casket, one last outfit, ‘the perfect plot’ spot, or an urn for their child.”
Maggie urged people to remember the little “burdens” that come with having children are actually blessings.
“Losing a child is something I would never wish on anyone, so as I share our story; hug your kiddos a little harder today, even when they drive you insane,” she encouraged.
“Because I would give anything to be interrupted by Ava while I tried to use the restroom, or eat a cold meal because she wants my attention, or step on her toys that she’s playing with instead of not having her at all.”