A mum from Australia with terminal brain cancer has written and published an emotional letter to her two sons, telling them all the things she wants them to know after she's gone.
Sara Chivers was initially diagnosed with cancer at the age of 25, but overcame the condition after three surgeries and radiotherapy.
Nine years later however, in March, the 34-year-old mum found out that her cancer had returned, and this time it's terminal.
Even more heartbreaking, Sara and her husband found out that her youngest son, Alfie, also has brain cancer at just 18 months old.
Image: Tess Follett
Sara and her son Alfie, who also has cancer
Faced with the possibility of not seeing of children grow up, the mum took pen to paper and wrote a letter to tell her boys everything she wants them to know.
Published in the The New Daily, the mum wrote: I won't be around to see you grow up. It's a hard thing to say and even harder to face. You will have to hear from others the little things that made me, me: my perfume of choice is Michael Kors, my favourite meal is spaghetti bolognese, Winter is my preferred season. I wish I was a better cook...'
Giving them a crash course in the life lessons parents usually have a lifetime to teach, the mum also told them to 'love hard', always try their best, as well as reminding them family comes first.
She wrote: 'Love hard. As they say, it is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. That's how I feel about you both. Heartbroken doesn't come close to describing the pain I feel at not being in your lives in the future, but I would never change or forego the time we have spent together and the immense joy you have brought me. You are without a doubt my proudest accomplishments.
'Always try your best; I could never ask any more of you. Never fear failure – you will learn more from mistakes than successes.
'You will have friends for a season, friends for a reason, friends for life. It won’t take too long to work out which ones fall into which category.
'Family comes first. We will always be there for you to fall back on regardless of any mistakes or bad choices, and will help you through tough times and to celebrate life’s wins', she wrote.
In her moving letter, the mum also tells Alfie and three-year-old Hugh to be kind to their dad, and accept his new partner when he's ready to move on.
Image: Tess Follett
Speaking to The New Daily, the mum said she's now focused on her little boy's battle: 'Alfie’s diagnosis has given me something else to fight for. It’s not about me any more. It’s all about him.'
Sara's sister has set up a fundraising page in an attempt to support the family during this difficult time, where she's provided more details on Alfie's condition.
'His is a completely different type of tumour from Sara's and unfortunately is very rare and aggressive. He has had 2 surgeries since his diagnosis and will be undergoing further treatment over the next 12 months to give him the best chance possible', she wrote.
