Mom filmed her toddler playing with a doll before and after cancer diagnosis — one difference she noticed at the hospital left her shattered
It's heartbreaking for any parent to see their child change when illness takes over. Instagram user and mom, Ashley Ta (@therealashleyta), shared that her daughter, Rylee, was diagnosed with leukemia, according to a GoFundMe. The challenging illness brought so many differences in her life; one of the most bittersweet ones was her interactions with her doll. While the 4-year-old would always take her dolls on errands or for treats, it drastically changed after her diagnosis. Sharing a clip on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, Ashley revealed the emotional difference before and after the diagnosis that left her heartbroken.
The mom mentioned how her daughter would initially cheerfully play with her favorite doll, which she carried wherever she went. Whether it was a fun trip to Walmart or Target, or just a small bite from Starbucks, Rylee was eager to share life with that doll. But what broke the mother's heart was how her interactions with her doll shifted post diagnosis. 8 months after her diagnosis, playtime looked different. As captured, the 4-year-old was no longer running errands but was pretending to give medications and injections just the way she had received them. She pretended to give her doll a "lumbar puncture." For the unversed, a lumbar puncture is a procedure of inserting a needle into the lower spine to collect the cerebrospinal fluid to find the spread of cancer, per Mayo Clinic.
As she played, she practised everything she experienced and learned in the hospital room. Right from calming the doll down before the procedures to explaining the steps, it left Ashley shattered. "Because a 4-year-old shouldn’t know these words. Shouldn’t understand these procedures. Shouldn't be able to explain, step by step, what happens in a hospital room…but here we are," she wrote. Yet, all didn't seem bleak. The mom also revealed that she was proud of her 4-year-old's resilience and how calm and composed she was. She still wanted to show love, she still wanted to share her experience, and she was still an innocent little girl showing bravery. It made the occurrence bittersweet.
Ashley explained that the kind of play is called "medical play." "It’s one of the ways children process trauma, fear, and the unknown," she added. The mom also noted that in this simple process, kids find healing, power, and comfort. Wishing for things to go back to the way they used to be, the mother hopes one day, playtime can look easy and simple like running errands again. According to a study published by PubMed, medical play using dolls and other toys helps children dealing with illnesses develop a positive experience during the tough journey. "The practice has mostly positive outcomes, with lower anxiety levels and improved healthcare knowledge. Its effectiveness should be verified in future studies using a more robust methodology," the study noted.
Ashley's video broke hearts online, with many online users sharing positive wishes for her daughter's speedy recovery. @gigilala_157 wrote, "It's heartbreaking, and at the same time, she is the sweetest caretaker." @emanseyal commented, "Sometimes in the difficulty of studying, I forget that this is the purpose all along. Thank you for this reminder. May you have full health and happiness, my angel." @snailsqueaks shared, "I've heard when children play with medical-themed toys, it helps them process the trauma they go through, so girly is just being strong and working through her feelings without knowing it."
For more informative content on cancer diagnosis and parenting, follow @therealashleyta on Instagram.