When 3-year-old Nolan Scully’s parents took him to the pediatrician to see his nocturnal breathing problems, they were completely unprepared for a shocking diagnosis that would reveal the true extent of his health challenges. But his final message before dying of cancer will leave anyone who hears it in tears.
Little boys can be truly delightful at the age of three. At this stage in their life, children become more adept at describing the things they observe and experience. They become quite social, can dress themselves, and eat with a fork. But before young Nolan Scully turning three brought another heartbreaking milestone that no kid should ever have to face so young.
It all began when Nolan’s mom, Ruth, noticed that he was having difficulty breathing while he slept. He was snoring quite loudly for a small kid and seemed to be suffering from a stuffy nose. It’s the sort of thing that you would put down to a cold or influenza, not an odd diagnosis at all, especially since it was fall and getting colder. But Ruth was worried. It didn’t seem like just a cold.
Like any good parent, she took him to the doctor, who was a little concerned to see such a serious sinus infection. He prescribed a course of antibiotics and a saline spray. The doctor also recommended that the family invest in a humidifier for Nolan’s room. Ruth followed all these instructions to the letter, but her efforts still weren’t helping Nolan. His stuffy nose wasn’t getting better at all. Instead, his breathing problems were getting worse.
Ruth acted at once and made an emergency appointment with an ear, nose, and throat specialist. Here, the real reason behind the boy’s breathing problems was revealed. The specialist discovered that his adenoids were enlarged. Adenoids are related to the tonsils and interwoven with their function. They consist of tiny sections of tissues located at the back of the throat near the tonsils and are believed to play a very important role in fighting off germs and infections in small children.
But they are not at all meant to become so big and swollen that they cause breathing problems like Nolan was experiencing. To correct this, Nolan was scheduled for an appointment to remove both his adenoids and his tonsils. It’s not an uncommon procedure for kids of that age. But that’s when things went from bad to worse, and the Scully family got news that would change their life forever.
A biopsy was taken of Nolan Scully’s removed tissue and sent to a lab for analysis. This revealed disturbing news. The boy was then diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma, which targets soft tissues. Because of the location of Nolan’s tumor, surgery was out of the question. Fortunately, at this stage, it was still fairly isolated from impacting other organs of his body, and doctors hoped that a course of chemotherapy could reduce the size of the tumor or at least stop it from growing any further.
After the cruel diagnosis, little Nolan Scully was transferred to the Pediatric Cancer Clinic at Georgetown University Hospital, and his life became a grueling routine of scans, tests, and blood transfusions. For some of these tests, he needed to be placed under general anesthesia. Since his tumor could not be operated on, Nolan had to endure 43 weeks of chemotherapy.
For his mom, Ruth, it was absolutely heart-rending to see her innocent little angel like this. The chemotherapy had many unpleasant side effects, such as fatigue, nausea, and hair loss, and little Nolan was by no means exempt from these. He felt devastated when he began to lose his hair as a result of this harsh regime. As a result of the chemotherapy, he often felt sick and tired. But he was absolutely determined to kick cancer’s butt.
And to add salt to the wound, Ruth knew something that made this terrible diagnosis even more poignant and painful for her and the rest of the family. While Nolan Scully was fighting for his life, his mom was pregnant with another child, a little sibling for Nolan. But it felt jarring to prepare for a new baby while her youngest child was faced with the fiercest battle of survival. Knowing that Nolan would never play with his little brother broke her heart. And putting his needs before everyone else’s felt like a given. But as a family, they needed to balance their needs and the needs of Nolan’s older sister, Leela, with supporting their son’s struggle against cancer.
It is at this stage that the Scully family—dad Jonathan, mom Ruth, big sis Leela, and little Nolan—came together to create something that would grow from strength to strength. The Scullys created a Facebook page to celebrate the life and struggle of their young son, to serve as a rallying point and a platform for fundraisers.
They named the page “Nolan Strong” to honor their little boy’s incredible resilience against one of the most insidious forms of cancer. The Facebook page provided a focal point for sharing Nolan’s journey and building community support. As more people heard his story, the “Nolan Strong” Facebook page gained over 300,000 followers. Through this platform, they shared photos, updates, and video clips of Nolan as the family continued to highlight his battle against cancer.
This connection to the community would lead to Nolan’s most heartfelt dream coming true. This event would raise his spirits and give him a new sense of self-worth even as he was fighting the battle of his life. During one of Nolan’s lengthy stays in the hospital, he received a surprise visit from the police chief, who appointed him as a special agent. Nolan was also given a special walkie-talkie that allowed him to report for duty in his new role. But that was not all.
The fire brigade of his town also inducted him as an honorary member with a touching ceremony. Nolan loved both cops and firefighters, and he cleverly figured out a compromise between these two passions. He decided that he would become a cop as his regular job. After all, the police chief had dubbed him Sergeant Roland Nolan. In his spare time, he hoped to be a firefighter, as sort of a part-time job. Thinking about his future gave him strength to fight against the side effects of chemotherapy.
And despite many weeks spent in the hospital, Nolan also got a chance to do some ordinary kid activities. This included a fun trip to the harbor, shooting hoops with the Washington Mystics, as well as a really special treat for Nolan. It was Saturday, the 23rd of July, and he was super excited to be at the convention center. The occasion was Jurassic Quest. Like so many kids his age, Nolan loved dinosaurs, and there he got the opportunity to see them up close and even sit on a dinosaur.
But on the cancer front, things were not going well. As Nolan reached the end of his course of chemotherapy, tests revealed that the cancer cells were insidiously active, and it was decided to immediately begin a new regime of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. In October 2016, Nolan faced an operation of over 12 hours to remove the tumor and restorative grafting to fix some of the damage it had caused in his tiny body. He spent his last Christmas in the hospital but was still able to leave some yummy cookies under the tree for Santa, just like any ordinary boy.
So many people prayed for Nolan’s health and recovery, but soon Ruth realized that she needed to have a very difficult conversation with her son. For many months, they had fought together against the cancer that ravaged his body. But just days ago, Ruth had talked to Nolan’s oncologist, and she could not hide what he told her anymore. Her baby was not going to make it.
After all, life seemed so cruel to Ruth those days. She was about to bring a life into the world, and at the same time, she was about to lose another. Nolan was too young to die. He deserved to grow old and live a marvelous life. But most of all, he didn’t deserve to suffer like he was. And she was determined to let him know that.
As she sat down with Nolan, she began, “It hurts to breathe now, doesn’t it?” Nolan acknowledged this with a “yeah,” and Ruth went on, “You’re in a lot of pain, aren’t you, baby?” Nolan looked down and agreed. Yes, he was in pain. That was a no-brainer.
Now came the really hard part. “Po,” she said, calling him by his nickname, “this cancer stuff sucks so much. But you don’t have to fight anymore.” Nolan was surprised and flashed her a look of pure happiness. “I don’t?” “But I will for you, Mommy,” Ruth Scully said. “No, Pooh. Is that what you’ve been doing? Fighting for Mommy?” “Well, of course, Mommy. You’re my best girl. I’ll do anything for you,” Nolan said. By this point, Ruth couldn’t hold back the tears. Knowing that her child had been holding on to life because he was trying not to disappoint her made her feel both proud and terribly guilty. She couldn’t let him waste away just because she would be sad otherwise.
It was time to get serious. Ruth prompted Nolan, “What is Mommy’s job?” The boy knew the answer to that one very well. “To keep me safe,” he said, with a heart that was near breaking. Ruth explained to Nolan that she was no longer able to keep him safe against the cancer that was wreaking havoc with his little earthly body. She could only keep him safe in heaven. Nolan understood and thanked her, promising to play in heaven until she joined them there.
At just 4 years old, little Nolan Scully was getting ready to die. In the last days before his passing, his mother spent almost every waking moment with him. She would often crawl into bed with him and hold him to bring him some comfort from the pain that was now his constant companion. On the last day, she watched the YouTube video with Nolan. She asked him if it was okay for her to take a shower.
Ruth often moved Nolan to lie down just outside the shower because he wanted to be able to see her even as she was taking care of her most basic needs. But as she switched on the taps, her little boy slipped into a deep sleep. And when she returned, she found Nolan surrounded by his medical team. He had slipped into unconsciousness.
Everyone in the room was blinking back their tears. Over the months that took up his desperate battle for every next breath, they had fought with him and also grown deeply attached to the courageous little kid with a huge and kind heart. The oncologist told Ruth that her son might not wake up again. They told her that his right lung had collapsed and that it was now becoming very difficult for him to continue breathing. The medical team also reassured Ruth that while Nolan slept, he did not feel the pain that was now part of his every waking moment.
Ruth hurried to her son’s side. She reached out and touched the right side of his head. That was when a miracle happened, and little Nolan opened his beautiful blue eyes one last time. He smiled when he recognized his mother. “I love you,” he said. Those were his very last words. And they made everyone in the room weep bitter tears. As the little boy turned his head towards Ruth for the last time, she began to sing “You Are My Sunshine.” At 11:54 p.m., just before midnight, Sergeant Roland Nolan Scully passed away.
It seems impossible for a boy of just 4 years old to grapple with the concept of dying. But Nolan really had no choice about the matter. With the help of his mom, Ruth, he wrote his own will, which mostly detailed how he wanted the many people who had loved and supported him to commemorate his passing. He wanted everyone, including his parents, to wear their special “Nolan Strong” T-shirts.
But those who didn’t have the T-shirts could come wearing red, which was his favorite color. The police department and the fire brigade of Nolan’s hometown gave him a lifeline by honoring his dream to serve his community. When he passed, they gave him a send-off worthy of one of their own. Nolan’s coffin was transported to the graveyard on a fire truck, with a procession of more fire engines, as well as every single member of the town’s police force. Sirens blared through the streets to honor the life and the courage of one little brave boy. In the eyes of all who knew him, Nolan Scully was a pint-sized superhero.
The “Nolan Strong” Facebook page continues to share posts to celebrate his big heart and his tenacity. They also continue to organize fundraisers for other children facing terminal illnesses and raise awareness for childhood cancer. Nolan might be gone, but his memory will stay forever in the hearts of whoever loved him.
What a heartbreaking ending. Do you think Nolan only held on to life to avoid disappointing his mother?
