As kids his age were learning how to draw, build blocks and learning their ABCs, Nolan, 2-years-old, had been at the doctor’s office after being diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, which is a rare (and deadly) soft tissue cancer.
Due to the cancer being in an aggressive stage and because Nolan was very young, he had to go on a journey that required countless trips to the doctor as well as serious treatments for his illness.
He went though rounds and rounds of intense tests and had to undergo chemotherapy.
Due to this, his hair fell out and he became very sick. Nolan’s parents had no choice but to keep him away from other people out of fear that being around others would make him ever sicker.
For an entire year, Nolan fought tooth-and-nail against cancer. But he could not do it. His tiny body was not strong enough to fight off the cancer cells that kept eating away at his insides. He soon became too sick to drink water or eat his favorite foods. And he couldn’t keep anything in his stomach because he was vomiting all the time.
His mother Ruth Scully had already been through hell. But when her boy stopped eating, she feared the worst. So during that visit with the oncologist, when Nolan was four-years-old, they learned that cancer had spread throughout his body and was forming massive tumors that were affecting his ability to breathe. That’s when the oncologist told Ruth Scully that her son’s cancer could not be treated.
Ruth wanted to tell her son what was happening but did not know how to spit the words from her mouth.
She shared an interaction with her son online so others could understand what it was like for a four-year-old to battle a rare form of cancer.
“Me: Poot, it hurts to breathe doesn’t it?
“Nolan: Weeelll… yeah.
“Me: You’re in a lot of pain aren’t you, baby?
“Nolan: (Looking down) Yeah.
“Me: Poot, this cancer stuff sucks. You don’t have to fight anymore.
“Nolan: (Pure happiness) I don’t?! But I will for you mommy!
“Me: No Poot! Is that what you have been doing? Fighting for mommy?
“Nolan: Well, duh!
“Me: Nolan Ray, what is mommy’s job?
“Nolan: To keep me safe! (with a big grin).
“Me: Honey, I can’t do that anymore here. The only way I can keep you safe is in Heaven. (My heart shattering)
“Nolan: So I’ll just go to Heaven and play until you get there! You’ll come, right?
“Me: Absolutely! You can’t get rid of mommy that easy!
“Nolan: Thank you, mommy! I’ll go play with Hunter and Brylee and Henry!”
This exchange was one of many emotional posts on the Facebook page Ruth and her husband Jonathan created to document Nolan’s battle with cancer.
On that page, Ruth posted a tribute to Nolan a few months after cancer took him from this world.
“Two months. Two months since I’ve held you in my arms heard how much you loved me, kissed those sweetie ‘pie’ lips. Two months since we’ve snuggled. Two months of pure absolute hell
Just before he was taken off life support, Nolan gave his mother one last gift.
“My angel took a breath, opened his eyes, smiled at me and said, “I love you, mommy,” turned his head toward me and at 11:54 p.m. Sgt. Rollin Nolan Scully passed away as I was singing ‘You Are My Sunshine’ in his ear.
