Sophie was a normal, healthy 2 year old until May 18, 2017.
When she got sick, parents Shelby and Jonathan thought their two-year-old daughter Sophie was suffering from allergies.
She was struggling to breathe and her doctor suspected asthma. But it would soon be clear that the situation was much worse.
Sophie was scheduled to have an allergy test a few days later. But she never got to take the test.
She stopped breathing one night.
It’s every parent’s nightmare. Shelby and Jonathan ran to call an ambulance. Minutes later they were on their way to the hospital.
It was only then that the doctors could confirm that Sophie was suffering from something much worse than asthma and allergies.
Doctors discovered a softball-sized mass in little Sophie’s chest. She had developed T-cell lymphoma. Cancer. The young girl was suddenly in the fight of her life.
Sadly, aggressive chemotherapy failed to stop her cancer from spreading. The treatments impacted Sophie’s ability to walk, talk, use her hands and eat.
As little Sophie fought for her life, her parents spent countless hours by her daughter’s side in the hospital.
Sophie’s mom, Shelby, keeps constant watch by her daughter’s side. Shelbys only concern was Sophie and how she was being treated.
Her weakened body needed a stem cell transplant.
In this chaotic and difficult situation, the mother noticed a special nurse try so hard to go unnoticed. But Shelby was watching.
After snapping a photo while the nurse’s back was turned, Shelby posted the picture on Facebook page that the parents hade created to document Sophie’s fight against the disease.
“I see you,” Shelby wrote as she revealed everything she witnessed during her daughter’s care.
“I see you. I sit on this couch all day long and, I see you. You try so hard to be unnoticed by me and my child.
I see your face drop a little when she sees you and cries. You try so many ways to ease her fears and win her over. I see you hesitate to stick her or pull bandaids off. You say ‘No owies’ and ‘I’m sorry’ more times in one day than most people say ‘thank you’..
”I see all of those rubber bracelets on your arms and wrapped around your stethoscope, each one for a child that you’ve cared for and loved.
I see you stroke her little bald head and tuck her covers around her tightly. I see you holding the crying mom that got bad news. I see you trying to chart on the computer while holding the baby whose mom can’t-or won’t be at the hospital with her.”
“You put aside what’s happening in your life for 12 hours straight to care for very sick and something’s dying children. You go into each room with a smile no matter what’s happening in there. You see Sophie’s name on the schedule and come to check on us even when she isn’t your patient.
”You call the doctor, blood bank, and pharmacy as many times as necessary to get my child what she needs in a timely manner. You check on me as often as you check on her. You sit and listen to me ramble for 10 minutes even though your phone is buzzing and your to do list is a mile long.”
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