A dying mother who’s aged just 26 was filmed telling her adorable four year-old daughter about her impending death as she entered hospice care.
Heartbroken Sara Long has been preparing her daughter Riley for her death as she succumbs to a rare kidney disease.
The wife and mother, from Savannah, has been battling her condition since she was 13 and previously received a new kidney from her mom.
However the organ was rejected and subsequent attempts to find a donor have failed.
Long and her husband Justin have had to have difficult conversations with Riley about what is going to happen following her death which is expected in the next two to three weeks.
In one emotional conversation on video caught by KOCO, the young girl innocently asks: ‘Are you going up to the sky?’
‘I’m going up to the sky that’s right baby,’ Long replies, her voice nearly cracking.
‘She’s going to become a star,’ Justin adds, prompting a smile from his wife.
Georgia mom Sara Long has been forced to tell her four-year-old daughter Riley she is going ‘up to the sky’ as she enters hospice care
Long and her husband Justin are preparing for her to die from a rare kidney disease in the next few weeks
Although Riley is too young to understand, her parents have told her that her mom is going to become a star when she dies
‘Yeah, so when you look up at the stars and you can see me,’ she tells Riley.
Long’s health struggles have been ongoing for half her life. It began with a rash of bruises which would not go away before doctors diagnose her kidney problems.
At 16, she received a new organ from her mom, but her body rejected it.
Over the next decade, she dealt with ‘endless hospitalizations, dialysis sessions, and obstacles’, according to Justin.
Long got her hopes up again when her best friend was identified as a potential match for a new kidney, however the potential donor was diagnosed with lupus tragically ruling her out.
Doctors also said that she risks dying from sepsis even if a transplant is performed.
But Long is choosing to remain positive even as she nears the end of her life.
‘I feel like I’ve already had my miracle,’ Long said. ‘I feel like Riley is my miracle. And getting to spend these years that I’ve had with her is my miracle because it has put in so much work and so much effort into making sure that I stay alive and saving my life time and time again.’
Long and her husband Justin have been preparing Riley for the unthinkable as the wife and mother succumbs to her rare kidney disease
Long has been battling health problems since she was 13 and has undergone a kidney transplant which failed
‘I would rather have 26 really good years full of adventure and full of meaning and full of love and just the most beautiful people and I’m so glad that I got that instead of 100 mediocre ones.’
She revealed she has written her daughter countless letters to be opened at various milestones in her life.
‘There are probably dozens, if not hundreds, of letters at this point, to open at different various points in her life. So, like her first day of school all through, or a graduate degree, potentially,’ Long said.
Justin has been by his wife’s side for the last seven years attempting to support her through her treatment.
‘I just love her very much. I tried my best for seven years, and you had a good fight, baby. She lived longer than she was supposed to,’ he said.
‘Realistically, if I had not received the care that I had received, I would have died when I was 13,’ Long added.
Instead of preparing for the holidays, the couple are fundraising for funeral costs.
‘We are entering the final chapter for my lovely wife as she transitions to hospice care,’ Justin wrote.
She has made the heartbreaking decision to enter hospice care as her prognosis does not look good
An adorable photo of Sara and Riley that was taken in happier times
‘Sara Long can’t be described by one word, sentence, paragraph, or book. Not even the entire Encyclopedia collection can scratch the surface of this beautiful woman.
‘What I can say is Sara was the most beautiful, kind-hearted, caring person to ever exist, sacrificing her own energy and resources to help others and bring joy to as many others as possible.
‘She was a successful businesswoman, perfect wife, and most importantly, the best mother any child could ask for.’
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