A terminally ill mom has shared the devastating moment she told her young son she's dying of cancer.
Dr. Nadia Chaudhri, a 43-year-old mom-of-one from Montreal, has been fighting ovarian cancer throughout the past year.
Sadly, in recent weeks, the doting parent was given an updated prognosis and learned that the cancer was terminal.
Taking to Twitter on May 11, the brave mom - who is a neuroscientist and professor - told her followers: "Today Is the day I tell my son that I'm dying from cancer. It's reached a point where he has to hear it from me.
"Let all my tears flow now so that I can be brave this afternoon. Let me howl with grief now so that I can comfort him."
Dr. Chaudhri's heartbreaking post was instantly seen by thousands of social media users, racking up more than a million sympathetic likes as many called her "inspirational".
One person wrote: "Inspirational and strong, I really hope and pray you get more precious time to spend with your son."
Others could relate to her upsetting situation and shared their own stories, with one person writing: "My heart is with you @DrNadiaChaudhri. This coming from a Pakistani American daughter who also lost her mom to Ovarian cancer (‘07).
"My mom's diagnosis came senior year of college (‘04) & I had to decide between finishing up college or be there for her. In the end I did both."
A third added: "I have no words...my heart is truly broken."
On the same day as her initial tweet, Dr. Chaudhri shared that she was touched by the overwhelming response her story had garnered within just a day.
She wrote: "I'm overwhelmed by the response to this tweet, which I wrote while howling in bed. Since you're here, I am raising funds to support underrepresented scholars in my field. If you'd like to help me make my fundraising goal that would make my [heart] swell."
Later on, the doting mom told her followers that she had shared the devastating news with her young son.
She explained: "Our hearts broke. We cried a lot. And then the healing began. My son is brave. He is bright. He will be okay. And I will watch him grow from wherever I am. Today was the hardest day of my life. Thank you for all for your love."
Dr. Chaudhri's Go Fund Me to help fund awards for young scientists has raised $188,446 CAD ($155,600 USD) at the time of writing, exceeding its initial goal of $150,000 CAD ($123,800 USD).
We wish Dr. Chaudhri and her family all the health, strength, and happiness as she continues to battle her ovarian cancer.
