Delaney Krings appeared to be a healthy child, or so everyone imagined.
Her parents, Heather and Jack, took her to the hospital for a check-up when she complained of ear trouble. The doctor confirmed her infection and provided treatment. Delaney’s condition appeared to be improving at first, but when she began to develop other symptoms, such as loss of balance, her parents realized something was wrong.
Delaney was rushed to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, where doctors ran a battery of tests to figure out what was wrong with the 4-year-old.
Unfortunately, the family received the devastating diagnosis in October 2022.
Delaney was suffering from serious brain cancer. This precious little angel was given only six to eight weeks to live.
“For a minute, your heart pauses. The world comes to a halt. You can’t breathe, so you simply attempt to comprehend everything. “Did you know she’s four?” Heather explained.
Delaney’s parents wanted to do something special for her birthday, which they were told would be her last, in order to make her final days worthwhile.
Heather then requested their family and friends to email her daughter birthday greetings, not realizing that the story would become viral.
“The type of cancer she has, DMG, responds very little to any current treatment available,” Heather wrote on CaringBridge.
“In addition, the severity and size of her tumor when it was discovered essentially sealed her death just 12 weeks ago. I’ve spent months reading medical textbooks, research papers, etc., etc., and have found very little optimism in any of them.”
Delaney turned five on December 16, and she enjoyed a memorable birthday celebration. This lovely lady received over 15,000 birthday cards and numerous videos from people all over the world who wished her well.
“On the maps that we have up, we have stickers to put for all of the locations for where the cards have come from, so Laney can see that she’s got love from all over the world from people she doesn’t even know. And it’s taking off. “I suppose 400 cards were mailed today,” Heather stated in December.
“As long as she still knows what’s going on, she can laugh, she can hear, she can see, she recognizes us, she remembers us. You must ignore the clock because what is our objective here? To make the most of whatever time she has left.”
The Wisconsin Truck Takeover Enthusiasts prepared a special birthday march for Delaney, attracting up to 500 vehicles and parade participants.
“I’m simply glad she gets to celebrate her birthday. “There’s no way to thank everyone, but we appreciate everything from the bottom of our hearts,” Delaney’s father, Jack Krings, told TMJ4 News in Milwaukee.
Unfortunately, Delaney succumbed to cancer on January 28, 2023, shattering her parents’ hearts and shattering their world.
“Our Sweet Angel Baby has grown wings. “Fly high, my precious baby,” Delaney’s mother, Heather, said on CaringBridge, captioning a photo of her daughter: “Delaney Judith Krings. 12.16.2017 — 1.28.2023. Fly high, my darling.”
“Like a flower that we only see the beauty of for a short time, we all enjoyed every single day of Delaney’s 1,869 days on earth,” according to the Delaney GoFundMe page. She made us all better individuals, both those she knew and those she never met. Make your mother proud. Like ours, your heart may be broken. A broken heart, on the other hand, has voids that can now be filled with the glue of love. Delaney, have fun with the love of your life in heaven.”
Heather want’s her daughter’s tale to lead “to be a wave of simple acts of kindness. This world needs more love, and I believe she was sent here to deliver it. Pure and straightforward love.”
Sweet angel, rest in peace.
