The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission.
Child records heartbreaking message for her future siblings before dying of cancer
‘I just want you to know that I love you and that you’re a great little sister or little brother,’ child told future siblings before she was diagnosed with cancer
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A mother has shared a video her daughter recorded for her future siblings years before she died from cancer.
Destiny, nine, died in September 2020 after an eight-month struggle with a rare liver cancer, hepatoblastoma. However, before she was diagnosed with cancer, Destiny recorded a video on her phone dedicated to any future siblings that she may have, in which she urged them to “just be happy”.
“I’m little and I just want my little sister or my little brother to see these when she or he is older,” Destiny began the video, which her mother recently shared on TikTok.
Destiny then reminded her future siblings that she is “not perfect,” and that they aren’t either, before pausing as she noted she was “about to cry”.
“Just be happy in your life. Never be mean. I was always happy, I was always nice,” Destiny continued. “I just want you to know that I love you and that you’re a great little sister or little brother. [They] haven’t had you yet but I just think you’re going to be perfect, perfect for my family.”
In the video, Destiny, who was an only child at the time, then acknowledged that she may grow up without her mother and father ever having another child. “That’s not going to happen, you’re going to come out so right,” Destiny said, before assuring her unborn siblings that “Jesus is going to make you pop, and he’s going to make you good”.
“We love you so much and you’re part of our family now,” Destiny concluded.
On TikTok, where Destiny’s mother shared the “priceless” video, she revealed that she’d found it on her daughter’s phone, and that it had been recorded before Destiny was diagnosed with cancer.
“Literally found this video from four years ago in Destiny’s phone. This was well before she had cancer. We never told her that she would have a brother or sister. To have this video left by her before she died to her future sibling is priceless,” she wrote.
Destiny’s mother also added the caption: “Words from heaven from my angel.”
Although Destiny did not have any siblings while she was alive, Destiny’s mother gave birth to a son in 2022. “He has a guardian angel watching over him,” Destiny’s mother wrote in another TikTok video.
The video Destiny recorded for her future siblings has since been viewed more than 1.2m times on TikTok, where viewers were moved by the sweet message.
“I’m in tears. She knew. What an angel,” one person commented, while another viewer said: “Wow, what an incredible little girl. She felt the connection to her sibling before they were even here. So smart and a beautiful heart.”
Someone else added: “She knew. This wasn’t random or a coincidence. Nothing in the universe ever is. What a gift. Thank you for sharing.”
In another video, which showed Destiny’s mother cradling her newborn, she said she’d thought she would “die too” after Destiny died in 2020. “And now I’m here with her baby brother who I’m sure she sent down from heaven so me and her daddy could be parents again!” she wrote.
According to a website dedicated to honouring Destiny’s memory, assisting families of children battling cancer, and raising money for childhood cancer, the nine-year-old first became sick during holiday break in 2019. After undergoing various tests, her parents were advised to take her to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, where the family eventually learned on 7 January 2020 that Destiny had cancer.
“Our world stopped and would never be the same again,” her parents wrote.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments