In a heartbreaking Instagram post, CNN correspondent Rene Marsh says her son, Blake, 2, has passed away from brain cancer.
Marsh has been incredibly vocal about her son’s cancer diagnosis. Last year, she wrote an opinion piece for CNN urging people to wear masks, as it could potentially save the life of her son, who was undergoing chemotherapy at the time. “Living through a pandemic,” she shared, “as a mom of a child with a cancer diagnosis, is terrifying.”
While baby Blake had reportedly been in remission for six months, his cancer returned in February. On Thursday, Marsh shared the tragic news that her son had lost his battle.
Marsh posted adorable photos of Blake on Instagram, writing: “To my dear sweet Blake aka ‘Blakey’, In your 25 months on earth you taught me how much strength I had stored up in reserve that I didn’t know I had. You taught me endurance. You taught me a depth of love I have never experienced. You inspired me to keep going when I wanted to give up. You helped me prioritize what is truly important in this life.”
“I am forever changed because of you, my son,” she continued. “I feel blessed and honored to have been your mom. I wish we had more time together but I’m grateful for the time we had.”
Marsh decried the loss of her motherhood, too, writing: “I didn’t just lose you Blakey, I lost all the dreams and hopes that a mom has for a son. I lost my motherhood and I’m mourning it all.”
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She concluded her post stating that she’s dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer for the rest of her life.
“I will do it not just to spare other parents from this unbearable pain,” Marsh wrote, “but I will do it to forever honor you, Blake. Your life was not in vain my sweet angel. Mommy loves you and I look forward to holding and kissing you when we meet again.”
The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, which is “dedicated to funding research to eliminate childhood cancer,” has donated more than $30 million to pediatric cancer research. For more info on NPCF and how to donate, head to their official website.
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