“Without saying a word, this photo speaks more than words ever could.”
“Ian is 15 years old. In 2019, he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of cancer. After surgery and months of chemotherapy, Ian was declared cancer-free. But in November 2021, the cancer came back and spread throughout his body. This past week, Ian and his family were told there was nothing more they could do. The cancer that he had fought before and beaten would soon be the same cancer that would take his life.
When Ian found out he was going to die, he cried. But he wasn’t afraid of dying. He was okay with it. Ian was sad because, in his own words, “I only want to do one good thing in the world before I leave you all.”
It was Ian’s decision to tell his friends and his little brother that his cancer would eventually kill him. I believe this photo shows the “good” Ian wanted to share with the world.
Even with such a heartbreaking diagnosis, Ian was the one comforting his friends and little brother. In this photo, Ian’s little brother, Peter, is crying. Peter had just learned that his time with his older brother was running out. Ian, holding him tightly and kissing him on the forehead, apologized to Peter for not being able to beat the cancer.
Although he is sad, Ian says he’s okay with dying because, as he puts it, while “dying” is what’s happening, he refuses to sit around waiting for it. Instead, he chooses to live as much as he can until the end.
The truth is, Ian refuses to live for himself. He chooses to live for others until his very last breath.”
- Benjamin Elliott
Uplift