If you ever want to see incredible strength in action, pay a visit to the Prayers for Ellie Walton Facebook page; an account dedicated to the little girl who died earlier this year, at the age of four, after a long battle with a brain tumour.
The page is run by Ellie’s mother, Washington native Sarah Walton, who has touched and broken hearts around the world with her incredible tribute to her late daughter this week.
Ellie was diagnosed with the tumour when she was just four months old, and went on to undergo 17 surgeries, 28 rounds of chemotherapy, and 42 days of radiation before her untimely passing earlier this year.
The Walton family decided to have little Ellie cremated, and had ordered a custom urn for her. When it came time to bring Ellie home, however, the urn wasn’t ready – meaning she had to bring her beloved daughter home in a cardboard box.
The incident sparked some strong emotions for the grieving mother, which inspired her to post a truly heartwrenching post about grief on the Prayers for Ellie Walton page.
Posting a photo of the box, decorated especially for Ellie, she lamented: “You should be here. We made you a custom urn, you would love it baby girl. Unfortunately temporary urns are just boxes, that wasn't good enough for you, so I decorated it, until your perfect urn comes in. Driving you home the other day, I was scared, but buckling you in felt normal.”
She went on to reflect over the past two months without her daughter, admitting that she wishes she could have it all – even the bad times – back.
“It's been two months since I last kissed your cheek or played with your hair. It's been two months of pure torture, agony, and despair. All I want back is our daily life, whatever they entailed, I want it back. I want hospital visits back, and chemo back, I want your laughter, and your joyous heart back. The things that brought my heart so much pain, only a few months ago, I so desperately want back today,” she wrote.
For Sarah, the grieving process has put everything into perspective for her: life, motherhood – everything. And while those four years spent watching her daughter battle through illness were incredibly tough, she wouldn’t swap that time for anything.
“I would gladly take this pain over and over again, if it meant that I got to be your momma. ‘Cause had I never known you, I would have never known pure happiness, I would have never known to live every moment as your last, and I would have never known what true bravery, strength, and courage looked like,” she admitted.
Needless to say, Sarah’s searingly honest post has really struck a chord online, particularly among families who are also trying to come to terms with the loss of a child. Indeed, it didn’t take long for the poignant post to go viral, with fellow parents reaching out with messages of love and support.
