Watching a newborn latch on to its mother for the first time is certainly a joy to behold, but for the people who were lucky enough to witness Sarah Whitney nurse her newborn son, the moment was all the more significant.
Having been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer while 20 weeks pregnant, 31-year-old Sarah underwent a left breast mastectomy and began chemotherapy while still carrying her third child.
The mum-of-three, who desperately wanted to nurse her son on his arrival, was acutely aware that she only had a two-week window in which to do this as a result of her chemotherapy schedule.
Upon giving birth to Kal El, Sarah was overjoyed when her little boy latched onto her right breast and nursed contentedly in a heartwarming moment which was captured in stunning back and white shots by an equally overcome photographer.
Opening up about the images which were shared on social media earlier this year and resulted in Sarah bend dubbed a "strong momma", Kal El's mum admitted she was astounded by the public's reaction.
"I know why those pictures mean so much to my family. I didn’t understand why they meant so much to other people," she admitted.
"I guess it’s that universal understanding of what it's like to do what's best for your children, to be around for them," she reflected while speaking to the Northwest Florida Daily News.
Sarah, who is also the proud mum of Phoenix and Corah, admitted that living with both cancer and depression has been incredibly difficult, but insists it's important to focus on the positive.
"There's been a lot of heartache with things not working out the way we wanted, but I'm just soaking everything in and appreciating all the blessings we've had with Kal El being healthy."
We're wishing the Whitney family all the very best for the future.
