This 11-year-old boy had a last wish, a decision that shocked everyone, including his doctors. As a result, they ended up bowing their heads to him. As they entered Leong’s room, the doctors and the entire medical team assembled in a straight line, hearts full and eyes teary.
They all lowered their heads, bowing out of respect. The young boy’s decision had left them in awe. It was one of the greatest acts of kindness, and bowing their heads out of respect was the least they could do to show their appreciation. Everyone tried their best to keep it together, but it was a truly emotional scene.
Despite how sad the situation was, Leong’s parents were proud of their son and the choice he had made. They watched in silence as he was wheeled towards the operating room, crossing a hallway full of crying doctors. They knew they wouldn’t see him again, but somehow knowing that his sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain helped them cope with the grief. In truth, they had been coping for a while now. Even before Leong’s life had come to its end, they had been informed that there was nothing the doctors could do for him. They had been forced to live with this knowledge for weeks.
The Young’s ordeal started one day at school when he laid his head on his desk. His teacher noticed and asked what was wrong. Leong complained of a headache. The pain persisted the entire day until he got home. The 11-year-old told his mother about his headache, and she gave him some medicine to ease his discomfort. The pain was gone the following day, and Leong felt relieved. But weeks later, he complained of another headache to his teacher, and this time, it was much worse. The pain didn’t dull with the medicines and kept coming back. He constantly held his throbbing head in his hands and couldn’t concentrate in class.
Leong had to be sent home multiple times a week. His frequent migraines were hindering him from participating in class and playing with his friends. That’s when the teacher suggested that he should be taken to a hospital for a thorough checkup. Leong’s parents took the teacher’s advice and took him to a hospital so that he could be examined. Upon several checkups, however, the doctors couldn’t figure out the cause of the little boy’s headaches. The experts advised restorative measures and prescribed pain relievers so that he could be a bit more comfortable. But even with the drugs, his headaches never fully went away.
Leong’s parents worried for their son. They didn’t like to see him in discomfort, and it was clear from his behavior that he wasn’t simply lying to get out of school. He couldn’t play with his friends anymore and was always too tired to watch his favorite TV shows. He was lagging behind in school all because of the constant headaches. They felt confused and hated that they couldn’t help him. They kept hoping things would get better, but unfortunately, they got worse.
One day at school during lunch break, Leong suddenly developed a seizure before fainting. A nearby teacher rushed to help him, and his parents were contacted immediately. After Leong was taken to the hospital, the doctors were in a state of confusion. First, the terrible migraines and now seizures. Leong had been perfectly healthy for the first 11 years of his life. They couldn’t understand where the sudden illness came from. The doctors decided to conduct a series of tests to find out the root of Leong’s headaches and seizures. Unfortunately, the results were heartbreaking.
The doctors revealed that the boy had a brain tumor that was pressing on the organ and causing the migraines and seizures. His parents were dumbfounded and felt like their whole world was falling apart. The doctors advised that Leong should be admitted to the hospital immediately or things could get even worse. They walked them back to Leong’s room and advised them to tell the truth. The boy was young but deserved to know what was going on with his body. His parents didn’t know how to break the news to him. They tried to put on a brave face as they entered his room, but Leong could tell that something was off.
As they moved closer to his bedside, Leong had another seizure, and the head doctor asked the parents to leave while he handled the situation. The boy was admitted immediately after that, and with the doctor’s help, his parents explained what was wrong with him. His mother sobbed softly by his side, but he took her hand and smiled slightly. He hated to see her upset. Although the news was devastating, Leong took it quite well. He had learned at school what it meant to have cancer, and he knew that sometimes the doctors could save their patients. He hoped that this would be the case for him too and vowed to fight until his last breath.
But as the weeks passed, the seizures became more frequent, and the doctor explained that the tumor was increasing in size. He also told the parents that Leong had a very little chance of survival as the cancer was progressing at a fast rate.
It wasn’t pleasant news, but they needed to be prepared for the worst because it would come sooner than later. At the hospital one evening, his mother noticed that Leong was a bit gloomy. When she questioned him, he mentioned how much he missed his friends. He missed playing with them and hanging out during lunch break and after school hours. Her heart broke for him, and the next day, she asked Leong’s teachers if some of his friends could visit him.
She immediately contacted the other parents and organized a surprise visit. Leong was shocked when his friends came through the door and jumped on his bed. The smile on his face warmed his mother’s heart. She was glad that she could make him happy, if only for a day. The kids played with Leong and told him everything he had missed. They made jokes and laughed amongst themselves, almost as if no time had passed since the last time they’d been together in class.
After they left, Leong’s parents checked back in with him. He thanked them for inviting his friends over, and what he told them next shocked them. Leong had made a decision earlier on, a decision that he’d been thinking about for a while now. It was a wish that he hoped would be granted in the event of his passing. His mother still held out hope that her son could be saved. She didn’t want to picture a life without him, but Leong was already accepting it. For a young boy, he was very brave and courageous.
The family hugged one another after Leong told them his wish, and his parents promised to grant it when and if the time came. They were all sobbing when the doctor walked in to check in on Leong. He asked if there was anything wrong, but his mother quickly wiped her tears and replied that everything was good. Although the doctor wanted to push further, wondering if their reaction had anything to do with Leong’s health, he thought against it and dropped it.
Unfortunately, the tumor progressed rapidly as time went on, and Leong slowly became a shadow of his former self. The location of the tumor, coupled with how fast it was growing, caused some damage in his brain tissue. As a result, his memory became affected, and his speech and motor skills followed soon after
. The doctor was forced to inform the family that things would only get worse. Unfortunately, all hope was lost.
The days went by slowly, and one afternoon, Leong suffered a cardiac arrest that caused him to slip into a coma. It was the beginning of the end and quite painful to witness. Leong never woke up from his coma, and after thorough examination, the doctors had to declare him brain dead. Although his body was still on life support, Leong was long gone. His parents kissed his forehead before they decided to speak to the doctors. They knew that it was time to fulfill their son’s last wish.
When Leong’s parents revealed what their child had asked of them, the doctors felt a mix of emotions. They were heartbroken, grateful, and thankful to the brave 11-year-old boy who had faced death head-on, only thinking about the legacy he would leave behind. In fact, Leong’s last wish was to donate his organs to people who might need them. That day, while they bowed in the hospital corridor, the doctors were reminded that not all heroes wear capes and that some of them are no more than children.
What a heartbreaking story. What do you think about organ donation? Do you know other people who made this ultimate sacrifice?
