Speaking as a parent, I fully embrace the consensus that there isn’t anything a loving mother or father wouldn’t do for their child.
Perhaps it sounds cliché, but the day you welcome a son or daughter into the world, your life is quite literally changed forever. Priorities shift, motivations change, and at the end of every day you go to sleep knowing one immutable fact: your baby is the most important thing you will ever know.
With that in mind, it’s hardly surprising that many parents attempt to shift heaven and earth to ensure the happiness of their sons or daughters. Yet – fortunately, we may add – very few will ever encounter the heartbreaking decision one father from Mexico had to face while he was battling cancer.
The following story is one of profound sorrow, but it can also serve as testament to the unparalleled power of love, as well as being a tale of courage and undeniable inspiration…
Roberto Ávila Brambila, of Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico, was a doting father and family man. Sadly, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2021, flipping the lives of his loved ones upside down in an instant.
Roberto quickly began treatment to give himself the best possible chance of survival. With support from his wife, Andrea González, he committed himself to doing everything possible to win his fight so that he could watch his daughter, also called Andrea, grow up.
Yet fate, they say, works in mysterious ways, and it’s a bitter truth that those ways aren’t always kind. On the contrary, they can often be incredibly cruel.
With Roberto in the midst of his own cancer battle, his family was then dealt an unspeakable blow when, in 2022, they received the news no parents ever want to hear.
At just four years old, Roberto’s daughter Andrea was diagnosed with brain cancer.
Now, it’s important to remember that healthcare differs from country to country, and in certain parts of the world long-term illnesses can mean devastating financial implications. If you ask me, money should never play a role in the treatment of a sick patient.
It shouldn’t, but it so often does.
In the wake of Andrea’s diagnosis, Roberto faced a heartbreaking dilemma. As per reports, the family simply didn’t have the finances to fight cancer on two fronts. A decision had to be made: should Roberto continue his cancer treatment? Or should he stop it to prioritize the options available to his young daughter?
For Roberto, the choice made itself. He gave up his treatment so that Andrea could receive the care she needed.
The family turned to friends and family for help, and before long this gut-wrenching story of self-sacrifice went viral. People were desperate to help Roberto and Andrea in their hour of need, and donations soon began to flood in.
The drummer of Mexican band Pesado eventually caught wind of the story and shared Roberto’s plight on his Instagram page, aiming to give it the widest possible exposure.
Tragically, though, despite the overwhelming wave of support, Roberto passed away on June 11, 2022, only a short while after Andrea’s diagnosis.
His wife, Andrea, wrote: “You kept your promise, you didn’t give up. Now I know that you will continue with the promise to always watch over Andy and me from heaven. We miss you so much, I will keep my promise and take care of our princess. I love you, until always.”
Following Roberto’s death, attentions turned to brave Andrea, who continued to fight with a tenacity that would have made her father proud. Ultimately, the four-year-old entered intensive care, while news of her deteriorating health sparked support from people worldwide.
Well-wishers prayed for a miracle, but Andrea sadly passed away just a few short months after her father.
Though there can be no understating the tragedy of this story, it must also be said that it’s a poignant reminder of undying love in the face of adversity.
It’s our hope that Roberto and Andrea are reunited in a better place. Rest in peace, you beautiful souls.