The uncertainty of life keeps humans fearful. At 27, Matt Sooter lived his best life, having everything a man wished for. By June 2016, he started a new job he was truly suited for. His wife loved him endlessly. The couple had two beautiful and healthy children, and they also shifted to their new home, one they built for their little family in Rogers, Arkansas. However, the happiness did not last long when his 2-year-old daughter, Addy’s, health showed symptoms of something being wrong.
The little girl was struggling to walk; however, the parents did not take concern as every child has their own pace of achieving their firsts, and they thought it could be a growth spurt, common in children. However, the next few weeks took them through a ride of hell. The parents had to see their girl fall almost every day, and she even stopped eating enough. This was when they realized how she had to be taken to the hospital. An emergency MRI was done immediately, and the night after was full of silent prayer and hope. However, life has something devastating ready for them. Addy had an incurable disease, and the life expectancy was? She probably only had a few months left.
After the results of the MRI arrived, the doctors were highly concerned and delivered the news of her having Diffuse Intrinsic Protein Glioma, an aggressive tumour in one’s brain cells. Although it still had to be confirmed through a biopsy, Matt and his wife felt numb hearing how their little one would not be here for long. The love parents have for their children is incomparable to any love that exists, and for them, the grief they felt could never be put into words. The diagnosis was confirmed after the biopsy, and to make her stay a little longer, radiation therapy was immediately started. They did have an impact as after the therapies, her tumour shrank considerably, which gave Addy the strength of worth, and a six-month survival.
The little angel was seen laughing, playing around, and eating enough again, keeping the parents at peace. However, in July 2017, after the routine scans were performed, something heartbreaking was revealed. The tumour was growing again! However, the parents knew it was too early to give up, and so the family traveled to Mexico for an experimental treatment. You never know what could become a ray of hope and sunshine on rainy days. Travelling to Monterrey was a good decision, as the following year was comparatively peaceful and stable.
The treatment was extremely costly and raised the family’s finances by over $250,000 in the year they shifted, just on travel and the treatment; however, living in a community that cared and showed support was bliss, as most of the amount was covered. It was in May 2018 when the doctors told Matt that the treatment was no longer working on Addy, and her health would now deteriorate again, as a fluid build-up in her brain was identified. Moreover, the cancer was aggressively spreading to the other parts of her body, and was already halfway down her spine. This time, the physicians clearly told the parents to go home and spend a good time with her, and to make memories that would forever stay dear to them.
While they agreed, the couple never stopped searching for alternative treatment options or doctors. Not just this, they have been active in spreading information about cancer and pleading for advanced research to save children. Addy could not live long after she got discharged from the hospital, and soon after, the family welcomed a new child, yet the memories of Addy linger. She is and will forever be special to Mom and Dad!
