Mom decides to tell son she is 'dying from cancer'–his response has the internet howling in pain: 'Hardest day of my life'

Sharing bad news with children is not the easiest thing for parents. But some things have to be done regardless of the challenge. A mom, Dr. Nadia Chaudhri (@DrNadiaChaudhri on X), had to go through something similar when she told her son that she was dying of cancer. She knew her son would have to hear it from her even though it was painful. So, she cried all she could that day, so she could be strong for her son. And her son's response had the internet in tears.

"Today is the day I tell my son that I’m dying from cancer. It’s reached a point where he has to hear it from me," Dr. Chaudhri wrote. "Let all my tears flow now so that I can be brave this afternoon. Let me howl with grief now so that I can comfort him." After telling her son, she shared an update on how it went. "Our hearts broke. We cried a lot. And then the healing began," Dr. Chaudhri expressed. "My son is brave. He is bright. He will be okay." The mom pointed out that she would watch her little boy grow from the other side. "Today was the hardest day of my life. Thank you for all your love." She shared a photo of them hugging each other and people appreciated her courage in the comments.

@imrstack wrote, "Make videos for his future special days (graduations, weddings, first job, first break up), so he’ll be able to continue to feel your love, wisdom, sympathy and pride. Set up an email address for him, journal to him and provide him the username and password during one of your videos." @katharinehorgan commented, "I’m so sorry, my mum died when I was seven and nobody told me it was coming. I knew Mummy was sick, but I was always told she was going to the doctors to get better. The truth is, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer when I was 14 months old. You are doing the right thing."

In September of 2021, Dr. Chaudhary shared how she learned about her diagnosis, as she wanted to spread awareness about ovarian cancer. "In January 2020, I started feeling unwell. I was tired, had vague abdominal pain, severe lower back pain and a mild increase in frequency to urinate." She was treated for a UTI with antibiotics even though she didn't have the common symptoms like bacterial overload and burning pee. Also, she had an endovaginal ultrasound that showed free-flowing fluid in her abdomen and was asked to follow up in three months. Her symptoms were worsening, and by her second ultrasound, the doctor suggested that she might have endometriosis. But her gynaecologist uncle suggested that she should get tested for certain cancer markers.

After multiple tests and scans, she finally had surgery to get visible signs of cancer removed from her body and begin chemotherapy. After months of going through chemotherapy and clinical trials, she had been in palliative care because of a bowel obstruction. She couldn't eat and was kept on IV fluids. She highlighted how research for ovarian cancer was still underfunded and there was a need to change that. She urged people to pay more attention to their bodies and get checked if they find something odd.

"Pay attention to fatigue and changes in bowel/urinary tract movements. Make sure you understand all the words on a medical report." She added, "Do not dismiss your pain or malaise." The post concluded, "I will feast in my new life and welcome everyone to my forest table." Dr. Nadia Chaudhri was 43 years old when she died of cancer on October 5, 2021, at a hospital in Montreal, Canada, per The New York Times.