'She Ran Into the Arms of Jesus': Heartbroken Father Reveals Daughter With Brain Tumor Has Died
A heartbroken Arkansas father whose 4-year-old daughter greatly defied doctors' expectations and lived on for over a year despite being diagnosed with a highly aggressive brain tumor has said that she has now died.
"At 1:04 a.m. our sweet little girl received the miraculous healing that we've all been praying for for so long and ran into the arms of Jesus. She passed from this life to the next just as she had lived: stubbornly but also peacefully, and surrounded by family. She wasn't in any pain at the end," father Matt Sooter posted on Facebook Sunday.
"For those who were wishing to say goodbye I'm so sorry. This all happened so much faster than we expected, but that in itself is a blessing because she suffered so little at the end. We will let you all know once services are scheduled. Thank you for being a part of our little girl's miracle. While this is only goodbye for now we miss our baby girl terribly," he added.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"Always remember: God is in this situation, He's up to something, and He's up to something GOOD."
Sooter, alongside his wife, Chandra, made national news in their fight for their 4-year-old daughter, Adalynn Joy Sooter.
As Sooter explained in an interview in May with People magazine, the family found out that Addy, as the girl is called, had a massive brain tumor in November 2017.
Addy was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG, with the family detailing the hospital stays and medical procedures she underwent in a Love What Matters article.
Doctors said back then that she only had a few months to live, but she defied the odds for well over a year.
The father said at the time that the way his daughter continued fighting on was "purely incredible."
"Her doctors have grown to love her and have been amazed by how well she has done," he said.
Still, Sooter admitted that the family expected to eventually "lose the war," given the seriousness of Addy's condition.
The father and mother turned to an experimental treatment offered in Mexico, and for close to a year continued taking their daughter across the border, racking up expenses of more than $200,000.
He revealed last month that the treatment had not been effective, and that the family was expecting the worst.
"She's lost a lot of her balance and needs assistance walking most of the time. The right side of her face is also paralyzed due to the tumor pinching the nerves that control that side of her body," he said at the time.
On Monday, Sooter posted another Facebook update, revealing that Addy's tumors have been donated to scientific research "in hopes of saving future children from a similar fate."
"Our sweet girl loved helping people and giving gifts so we thought this would be an excellent way of showing her giving heart," he wrote.
The father announced that a farewell visitation service for his daughter will be held at FBC, Rogers, Pleasant Grove campus on Friday, with the girl to be laid to rest on Saturday.
"In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to the Michael Mosier Defeat DIPG Foundation, Arkansas Children's Hospital, or Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas," he asked.
"Thank you all again for your love and support and for being a part of Addy's miracle."
