Heartbroken father shares the REAL face of childhood cancer

'Please I beg of you, as a heartbroken father, it is too late for my daughter, but childhood cancer needs to be cured.'

Advertisements show children with bald heads connected to IVs or other, life-saving machinery, but photographer Andy Whelan shows what cancer really looks like in heartbreaking images of his own daughter's struggle.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Jessica Whelan was only three-years-old when she was diagnosed with high risk stage 4 neuroblastoma on September 23 of last year.

She was originally seen for pain in her arms and shoulders, which turned out to be a bone infection.

She remained hospitalized for ten weeks, but just as she was about to be discharged, her family received devastating news.

According to Daily Mail, Andy explained: "Jessica had been crying out in pain during the night. One of the nurses told the doctor so he decided to check her tummy to make sure it was nothing more than constipation."

It was during this examination when doctors discovered a mass growing in Jessica's small belly.

"It was devastating," Andy admitted. "Jessica was all ready to come home. She was even in her coat. Then we were told she'd need to stay in hospital for more tests."

An ultrasound revealed a mass around the child's liver and an MRI was conducted the next day and doctors were forced to tell Andy his little girl had cancer.

"I asked the doctor how long she had left, and he said he couldn't give a figure but it was likely to be a couple of years," Andy shared.

Jessica began chemotherapy treatment and was put on a clinical drug trial. Her hair began to fall out and was first cut into an adorable bob, then was shaved altogether.

Three months into her treatment, Jessica was seen for a round of tests.

"The consultant told us the tumour was the same size, they hadn't budged it at all," Andy stated. "But he said there was another trial we could try, and not to lose hope."

While hospitalized, Jessica made several friends with other children and the nurses. She was so used to the hospital Andy admitted she would cry for them when she'd spent a rare night at home.

As time passed, Jessica's hair began to grow back and the little girl became more energetic. She was able to stay home, with Andy and his wife Nicki administered her treatment themselves.

"Every single moment was so precious," Andy recalled. "I kept my camera around my neck, ready to snap away, capturing every smile, every laugh, every time she cuddled her baby brother James. I didn't want to miss a thing."

As Jessica improved, things began to take a turn. The first heart-wrenching moment came when Jessica shared her fear of death with her parents.

"One morning, Jessica was watching TV when a programme about hospitals came on," Andy said. "Looking at the patients Jessica turned to us and said, 'I don't want to die.'

"I knew she didn't understand how poorly she was, but still, it was heartbreaking to hear."

Shortly after Jessica's admission, the trial concluded and doctors told her parents the treatment had not shrunk the tumor. It did, however, appear to keep it from growing.

"The consultant told us that there was more treatment they could try, but they were now looking at prolonging Jessica's life - not curing the cancer," Andy explained.

"It was a shock. On the outside Jessica looked so well, it was hard to believe she wasn't getting better."

Jessica underwent targeted radiation therapy in hopes of prolonging her life, but two months later an examination revealed the tumors remained the same size but the cancer had spread.

"We knew something was wrong straight after his examination as he asked for a nurse to take Jessica away while he spoke to us," Andy said. "Despite Jessica appearing to do well after the radiation treatment, her cancer had spread. There were little, or no treatment options left.

"We asked our oncologist what the likely timeframe we had to work with, and he told us we were looking at months. There are other clinical trials, but nothing that would make a difference for Jessica.

"So we had to decide whether we wanted to continue treatment, or let her enjoy a 'normal' life in the time she had left. Those studies would be pumping her full of chemicals to keep her alive for our sake, but it's Jessica that matters, not us."

On October 12, Andy and Nicki Whelan decided to end Jessica's treatments, leaving her only weeks to live.

"The news felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest while someone sucked the air from my lungs," Andy admitted.

In an attempt to raise awareness of childhood cancer, Andy shared a heartbreaking image of Jessica crying out in pain during one of her treatments.

"I understand this photo is hard to see and even harder to absorb, but this is what cancer does to a child in their final weeks and days," he shared.

"Before her diagnosis I was one of those ignorant to the darkness of childhood cancer. Now I give childhood cancer the respect it deserves, seeing too many children suffering this same fate and seeing families torn apart.

"If this photograph makes people think twice about this evil then it's achieved its purpose. Research needs to be done, cures need to be found.

"This, sadly, isn't a sight we see rarely. This is a sight we see every day and night. I could try and use a thousand words to describe what it's like to see our beautiful daughter suffering like this, but these words would fall short of depicting the truth."

On a Facebook page dedicated to Jessica, Andy shared the difficulty he faced by taking the picture and sharing it with the world:

"As a photographer it is important to capture the truth and the reality of a situation, too easy it becomes to capture the joy of life whilst discarding the torture that we see.

"This is the hardest photograph I have ever made, it is in fact my own four year old daughter. A few days ago she was given what is most likely only a few weeks to live after a battle against cancer that has been waged for over twelve months.

"This photograph was made in a moment that we as parents could offer her no comfort, her pushing us away whilst she rode out this searing pain in solitude. This sadly, for us as a family, is not a sight that we see rarely. 3(5** 95);8() *1 ;48 7*634;) ;89.05(

"This is now a familiar sight that we see regularly through each day and night, its frequency now more often. This is the true face of cancer, my baby girls blood vessels protruding from beneath her skin, a solitary tear running down her cheek, her body stiffened and her face contorted in pain.

"I could try and use a thousand words to describe this image that we as parents are confronted with on a daily basis but these words would fall short of truly depicting the sight we see.

"With this photo I do not mean to offend or upset, I do mean however to educate and shock those that see it in it's context.

"Perhaps by seeing this photo people not in our position will be made aware of the darkness that is childhood cancer, perhaps these same people may be able to do something about it so that in the future no child has to suffer this pain, so that no parent has to bear witness to their own flesh and blood deteriorating daily.

"The only apologies I offer are to those that know Jessica, I understand that this photo is hard to see and even harder to absorb. To those that do not know Jessica I offer no apologies, this is what cancer does to a child in their final weeks and days!!!

"Before her diagnosis I was one of those ignorant to the darkness of childhood cancer, not truly appreciating the hell that it brings. It would never happen to us! Now I give childhood cancer the respect it deserves, seeing too many children suffering this same fate and watching families torn apart.

"If this photograph only serves as a purpose to make people think twice about this evil and put into perspective what it does to a child then it has achieved its purpose. Research needs to be done, cures need to be found, too long now has this been allowed to happen.

"Please I beg of you, as a heartbroken father, it is too late for my daughter, but childhood cancer needs to be cured. No family should have to go through this hell."

The image has been shared nearly 10,000 times since it was posted six days ago and has over 28,000 "reactions."

In an attempt to offer Jessica "as much happiness and enjoyment...as possible in whatever time we have left with her," the family has opened a GoFundMe page.

All money collected through the site will pay for Jessica's care and "enjoyment through days out, treats and possibly a few nights away" as the family works to "create as many happy memories as is possible in the remaining time" she has.

Please pray for the Whelan family as they struggle through this difficult time in their lives. May the Lord keep them in the palm of His hand and bring them peace, grace and a multitude of love.

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