A 5-year-old boy died in 2018 after a two-year battle with hepatoblastoma, a rare cancerous tumor.
Charlie Proctor was from a village in Lancashire, England. His mother Amber Schofield is dedicated to keeping his memory alive by sharing the touching story of their last moments.
According to Stanford’s Children’s Hospital, hepatoblastoma “is a very rare cancerous tumor that starts in the liver” and “primarily affects children from infancy to about 3 years of age.”
Schofield posted an emotional note on Facebook, writing that Charlie died in his sleep, “cuddled in my arms with daddy’s arms wrapped around us.”
“You have been not only our biggest inspiration, but you have been an inspiration to thousands of people all over the world. You showed me what love really means Charlie,” she wrote. “Now it’s time to fly, I am so, so proud of you. You fought this so hard. My baby, I’m hurting so much. I will forever miss you baby bum. Sweet dreams,” she concluded.
Alongside the emotional note, Schofield shared a family photo of herself, her husband Ben Procter and their son.
Only a couple of hours before Charlie’s death, Schofield posted on Facebook that her son’s health was getting worse.
“As the days go by, he deteriorates more and more. He no longer looks like Charlie,” she wrote.
Schofield documented Charlie’s state of mind, writing “he’s sad, he’s tired, he’s fed up and depressed. ‘I don’t know what to do anymore’ are his main words.”
She shared that as Charlie’s health worsened, he started to become more agitated.
“[He’s been] wanting to lay down, sit up, lay in bed, then on the beanbag, then on the sofa, then back upstairs and so on…Charlie, at one point, turned to me and said in the most quiet, painting voice, ‘Mummy, I’m so sorry for this,’” she wrote, adding that it broke her heart that her son apologized for wanting to move around.
Concluding the post, Schofield wrote that she missed how her son used to be before his illness.
“I miss just having a chat, a cuddle that doesn’t cause pain. I miss squeezing him and kissing him all over. I miss his smile, knowing I won’t see that smile again other than in picture. I will never hear Charlie laugh again,” she wrote. “Hold your babies tight and cuddle and kiss them so much. You don’t realize how lucky you are. We all take life for granted.”
