Terminally Ill Mom Shares How She Told Her Toddler About Meeting in Heaven

A cancer-stricken mom has shared the devastating moment she talked to her 2-year-old daughter about heaven, in case the time comes when she's no longer around.

In April 2022, while Lindsey Gritton was 36 weeks pregnant with her second daughter, she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. Her daughter, Savannah, was then delivered early in order to immediately start treatment, which included eight grueling rounds of chemotherapy.

Gritton, 30, told Newsweek that at the time she was told she "had only six months to live," as her cancer was already so advanced. While in the middle of her chemotherapy treatment, Gritton, from Gainesville, Georgia, was filmed telling her eldest daughter, Saylor, who was 2 at the time, that some day she "might have to go to heaven."

"I wanted her to know that if mommy had to leave her, that she would see me again," Gritton said. "She doesn't understand much about my diagnosis, being only 3, but she knows that God is real and saved mommy."

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed forms of cancer, with more than 264,000 new cases in the U.S. in 2019 alone. When the cancer is found earlier and is still localized, the chance of survival is much higher, and 90 percent of female breast cancer patients who received a diagnosis between 2012 and 2018 are still alive.

However, stage four cancer, like Gritton's, means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, including bones and organs. Because of this, stage four is rarely considered curable, but treatment is used to slow its progress and shrink the cancer.

After Gritton shared the emotional clip on her TikTok (@lindseyparr) on April 26, she told Newsweek that "it's been a journey" to get to where she is now. The footage was captured in August last year, but she used it to reflect on that time when she didn't know what the future held.

"I was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer at 36 weeks pregnant," she said. "I delivered my daughter early to start my treatment. Stage four breast cancer is considered incurable, but after the chemo, I had a scan and they couldn't find any cancer in my body. I've been in remission for almost a year now, God saved me."

Gritton now has regular scans every few months to ensure the cancer hasn't returned, allowing her to share precious moments with her two daughters and watch them grow up.

The reaction to the video has been overwhelming, with more than 722,000 views and more than 28,000 likes since it was posted. Gritton said telling her daughter about heaven was "the hardest thing [I've] ever had to do," because it's "a conversation no one should have to have with their 2-year-old."

Hundreds of TikTok users have flooded the comments with support and admiration for Gritton's bravery throughout her cancer battle.

One person wrote: "What a remarkable woman you are."

Another comment reads: "Sobbing. As a mother, it's not even about us. It's about the heartache we feel knowing how much our kids would miss us."

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