This photo of two young friends comforting each other as they battle cancer should go VIRAL

27 May, 2015 by Terresa Monroe-Hamilton

Print this article Font size -16+

Cancer is always tragic, but even more so when it strikes children. They have their whole lives in front of them and cancer is a deadly thief of life and dreams. This picture of these two little girls hugging each other, just tears at your heart. They did not know each other… Maliyah simply went to Madelina and hugged her – both know what it is at this tender age to face mortality and fear head on. Children are the best comforters of other children and their innocence and love can heal mortal wounds. I feel for the parents as this is gut wrenching. No greater love can be found than those who are so close to losing it.

Maliyah Jones, five, (left) saw Madelina DeLuca at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
and went to embrace her. Her mother then uploaded it to Facebook and it has since been shared thousands of times.

From the Daily Mail:

A mother has shared a heartwarming photo of her five-year-old daughter hugging another girl who was also battling cancer.

Maliyah Jones, five, saw Madelina DeLuca at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and went to embrace her.

As they looked out the window, Maliyah’s mother Tazz Jones asked the child’s parents if she could capture the moment.

She then uploaded it to her Facebook page and it has since been shared thousands of time.

Jones told WPXI: ‘We just met that day. Maliyah ran up to her. They were hugging and looking out the window and I asked, “Can I take a picture of them?” And I took the picture and that was it.

‘There’s always someone there, always a friend. Children helping children is always the best support because they don’t know.

‘I’ve helped mothers get through their child being diagnosed, and they’ve helped me.’

She hopes the picture will now inspire other children

‘I’m hoping the whole city has seen it, people outside of the city, all over the world — not just for Maliyah’s story, but for other families going through this.’

Jones is selling jewlery in a bid to raise money for Maliyah and has also set up a fundraising page.

In it, she wrote: ‘Maliyah was an overall very healthy baby. Ate good, played well and always smiling. Yes of course there were times where she would get a fever or little cold, but after a quick doctor visit and some meds, she got better in no time.

‘From the time she was born 4-13-10 she loved to observe new things and interact with all walks of life.

‘It was April 24th, 2012 the day of her check-up. Mali and I woke up as if it this day was going to be a breeze, but little did we know what we were going to face in the hours ahead.

‘I can recall taking Mali to her appointment, telling the doctor what had been going on and about her eyes having dark circles under them, blood work being done on Maliyah, the doctor saying she looks great and then they sent us on our way.

‘In the back of my mind I didn’t feel fully satisfied but since she was feeling better I thought maybe she really was ok and I was over reacting.’

She then recalls how she was asked to take Maliyah straight to the children’s hospital. She went on to have a biopsy of a mass seen in her abdomen and a blood transfusion.

The youngster was admitted to hospital for two weeks until doctors informed the family she had a stage 4 neuroblastoma – and had a tumor the size of an orange in her abdomen.

She is now undergoing chemotherapy.

A fundraising page has also been set up for Madelina De Luca.

What a shock full of horror it must have been for Maliyah’s mom to discover her healthy little girl had stage four cancer. What fighters these families must be. Aside from the fact that illness such as this bankrupts a family, the stress and fear must be debilitating. Yet, they find happiness in a hug and courage in a smile. In my eyes, these children are warriors and heroes. The parents are too. If there was ever a worthwhile cause to give to, it would be helping these two little girls get better. I believe in miracles and that these children can get well and go on to lead phenomenal, long, adventure-filled lives.