A 9-year-old boy with stage 4 cancer meets his newborn sister – days later, the parents look over and gasp.
A nine-year-old boy with terminal cancer meets his newborn sister days later. His parents look over and gasp. Doctors said nine-year-old Bailey Cooper didn’t have long to live, perhaps only a few weeks or even days. But the terminally ill boy lived longer than expected and, against all odds, held on long enough to meet his little sister and name her. Bailey Cooper was first diagnosed in 2016.
What doctors initially thought was a viral infection soon turned out to be something much worse: non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a rare cancer that develops in the network of blood vessels and glands in the body. By the time doctors diagnosed Bailey, he was already in stage three. For over 15 months, the boy and his family experienced an emotional rollercoaster.
For a while, Bailey’s cancer went into remission, but during a family vacation, the doctors called with heartbreaking news: Bailey’s cancer had returned.
“The doctors tried everything and told us that the long-term effects will last for the rest of his life, even if he survives,” said his father, Lee.
Bailey’s family and doctors tried everything to save him, including a stem cell transplant. Amazingly, Bailey smiled through every round of treatment. Sadly, however, the disease proved too strong, and doctors gave the nine-year-old boy with cancer only days or weeks to live. But the doctors hadn’t counted on this sweet boy’s determination to meet his youngest sibling.
Bailey’s mother, Rachel, was pregnant, and Bailey Cooper made it clear he wasn’t going anywhere until he’d met his baby sister. Doctors didn’t think Bailey would be able to fight his cancer long enough to see his sister born. But when Rachel gave birth to their baby girl in November, Bailey defied all odds to be there. This brave boy with cancer lived long enough to meet his little sister and even got to name her.
“The doctors said he would go before Millie was born,” said father Lee. “He didn’t, he fought, and on the way to the hospital he said, ‘We should name her Millie.’ We didn’t think he would last that long, but he was determined to meet Millie.”
It was the end of November and Millie was born. He hugged her and did everything an older brother would do: change her diapers, wash her, sing to her.
Meeting his little sister was exactly what Bailey had been waiting for. He and his family knew Bailey wouldn’t make it to Christmas, but he lived long enough to have his Christmas wish granted. Having lasted so long, Bailey Cooper knew it was time to go to Heaven. The moment he met her, he began to decline rapidly. He slipped away slowly. Bailey knew his days were numbered, but he didn’t face his death with fear. Rather, Bailey Cooper displayed a courageous consideration that far exceeded his nine years. Bailey’s concerns were for everyone but himself. When his grandmother said she wished she could trade places with him, he told her:
“That’s really selfish, Grandma, you have grandchildren to take care of.”
Bailey made plans for his funeral and said he wanted guests to wear superhero costumes. And even though they knew their son probably wouldn’t live to see Christmas, Bailey’s parents, Rachel and Lee, asked him to make a list of the gifts he wanted.
“He knew he wouldn’t be here for Christmas, but we tried to get him to make a Christmas list. He said he didn’t want to, but we encouraged him,” Rachel said.
All Bailey really wanted for Christmas was to meet his little sister Millie, but he did his parents a favor and wrote a list of a few extra wishes. Even that showed the generous spirit of this incredible little boy. When Bailey’s parents looked through their dying son’s gift list, they noticed something unbelievable: nothing on it was actually for him.
“Most of the things he asked for were things he never played with,” Lee explained. “They were more suitable for his little brother. He had picked everything out for Riley because he knew he wouldn’t be playing with them anymore.”
Bailey had already received his gift: He lived long enough to meet Millie. The day before Bailey Cooper died, the proud big brother held Millie in his arms with the biggest smile – the same grin he wore even during his grueling cancer treatments.
“Bailey got through it all with a smile,” Lee recalled. “He pulled funny faces and made people laugh, even though he was in so much pain.”
On Christmas Eve, surrounded by his family, Bailey finally found his peace. He went home to be with the Lord.
“At 11:45 a.m. on Christmas Eve, we were sitting by his bed. We knew it wouldn’t be long. We told him, ‘It’s time to go, Bailey, stop,’” Rachel explained. “The moment we said ‘stop,’ he took his last breath, and only a single tear escaped his eye. It was peaceful.”
Even in his final moments, this sweet boy’s thoughts were with others. Bailey had strict instructions for his inconsolable parents:
“You are only allowed to cry for 20 minutes. You have to take care of Riley and Millie.”
And the sweet boy was already planning to watch over his little sister when he went to heaven.
“I want to stay, but it’s my time to go to become her guardian angel,” Bailey Cooper explained with a wisdom that far exceeded his nine years.
Hundreds came to the funeral dressed in superhero costumes to pay their respects to Bailey Cooper. He only spent nine years on Earth, but the incredible boy with cancer lived long enough to have a huge impact on the world around him.
“We are numb, but in a way also glad that he is no longer in pain,” said the grieving father, Lee.
Rachel added:
“The hardest thing is living without him.”
