Cancer is a terrible disease that cannot be described. From the moment a diagnosis is learned to the exhausting treatments and the thought of saying goodbye to loved ones.
Watching young children fighting this terrible disease is especially difficult for me as a parent. Simply put, it is sufficient to break even the strongest hearts.
It is difficult for me to comprehend why a young girl and her family should be forced to endure something so terrible when I look at Delaney Krings’ photographs.
In October 2022, Delaney Krings of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, was told she had terminal brain cancer. When the devastating news reached Delaney’s family, she was only four years old.
The family’s nightmare began when Delaney went to the doctor for an earache, according to the Facebook page For The Love of Delaney. Heather and Jack took her to her pediatrician, who treated the young girl after determining that she had an ear infection.
Although Delaney’s condition initially appeared to be improving, there were still other indications that something wasn’t right, such as a loss of balance.
Her parents trusted their instincts and began to suspect that their daughter was suffering from a serious condition.
She was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, where a series of tests were performed by medical professionals to determine what was wrong with the 4-year-old.
DMG, or diffuse midline glioma, an aggressive brain tumor, was discovered in Heather and Jack’s beautiful daughter shortly thereafter. It was fatal.
“For a brief moment, your heart stops. The world slows down. You just try to process it even though you can’t breathe. You know, she’s four, right? Heather declared.
Her story could have ended there given that Delaney was given only six to eight weeks to live. Instead, when her family wanted to make her birthday the most memorable it could be, her health issue attracted worldwide attention.
“The kind of malignant growth she has, DMG, has next to no certain reaction to any ongoing treatment accessible,” Heather wrote in a CaringBridge post.
“Along with the severity and size of her tumor when it was first discovered, which essentially sealed her fate just 12 brief weeks ago, I’ve read a lot of medical books and research papers. etc. etc. for months and have found that none of them offer much hope.”
Delaney celebrated her fifth birthday on December 16. Everyone in attendance was aware that it would be her final event.
Her family wanted to give her a special day, so they asked for birthday cards from all over the world to be sent to her.
They had no idea how many people Delaney’s story would touch.
“We have stickers for all of the locations where the cards have come from on the maps that we have up, so Laney can see that she has received love from people she doesn’t even know all over the world.
It has also taken off. In December, Heather stated, “I believe there were 400 cards in the mail today.”
“As long as she still understands what’s going on, she can laugh, hear, see, and remember us. She also knows us. You must ignore that clock because what are we here for? to make the most of her remaining time as best we can.”
The sweet little girl received approximately 15,000 birthday cards and hundreds of video tributes from loved ones, community members, and complete strangers worldwide.
The Wisconsin Truck Takeover Enthusiasts planned a birthday parade for Delaney, bringing together nearly 500 vehicles and parade participants, to make the occasion even more memorable.
I’m just glad she can celebrate her birthday. Jack Krings, Delaney’s father, shared his gratitude with TMJ4 News in Milwaukee. “There’s no way to thank everyone, but from the bottom of our hearts we appreciate everything,” he said.
Unfortunately, Delaney died on Jan 28.
“Our heavenly angel baby has acquired wings. Heather, Delaney’s mother, wrote on CaringBridge, “Fly high, my sweet baby,” and added the following to a picture of her daughter: Judith Delaney Krings 12.16.2017 — 1.28.2023. Fly high, my precious child.
Judy Krings, the organizer, wrote the following in an update to the GoFundMe page she created to assist Delaney’s family:
“We all treasured every single day of Delaney’s 1,869 days on earth, like a flower whose beauty we only see for a short time.” She made us all better people—those she knew and those she never met.
You should make her proud. Your heart, similar to our own, might be broken. However, the glue of love can now fill in the gaps in a broken heart. Delaney, enjoy the love of your life in heaven.
Now, Delany’s mother hopes that her daughter’s legacy will “be a ripple of simple acts of kindness” and that her daughter’s story will live on forever. She was brought here, in my opinion, because I believe the world needs more love. Love, in its purest form.
They will do everything in their power to restore their child’s sense of well-being because no parent wants to see their child suffer.
However, despite our best efforts and prayers, there are some things that simply cannot be changed.
This poor little girl and her family break my heart. Delaney, rest in peace, and thank you for bringing a smile and tenacity to the world!
