Goodbye Henry

Joy

19th December
19th December 2010 was amazing. Joy was born, Henry's little sister. Me and Henry were 8 and so excited. Henry had been an only child for so long and desperately wanted a sister. He got his wish. Joy was beautiful from the start and so so cute. He played with her all day and helped his parents with anything. She lit up his world. Whenever I would go around there house she would jump at us at the door.

At age 5 Joy got diagnosed with neuroblastoma, cancer in the abdomen and often causes bone pain throughout. Joy was weak and often in a wheelchair when struggling to walk. Her survival rate was high from early diagnosis but she also had the 15% catch of not surviving.

Henry remained happy because she could survive but you could tell he was still hurting beneath his shiny surface. He still saw me everyday and didn't loose touch like he did with his and Kyra's break up but his sister was his everything. Joy's neuroblastoma didn't go away as quickly as expected and her survival rates dropped from 85% to 70%. Joy was a fighter and could still survive but now being 6 she was still easily made to feel weak and tiresome. Joy could have her good days where we could take her to the park and she would be fine to play but on her weaker days we still watched movies and made her smile.

Joy was just as perfect as Henry. She had his same gleaming eyes and large grin. Any family photos and you could see the similarities. Henry's big happy grin and then hers too or their shining emerald eyes captured in the moment. Joy would laugh at the same things and follow in her brothers footsteps even when she was sick.

The two were inseparable most days. When Joy was 7 and Henry 15 their parents passed away. They had planned a ski trip for a few days but unfortunately got in a car accident on the route to the airport. Henry was young and Joy too but he had to remain strong. I don't remember much from what him and my mum told me but I know it wasn't good. Henry was now in full responsibility of Joy and he proved he could do it. Their foster parents tried with his help all the time to help with joy's neuroblastoma and any hospital visits. Henry's Forster parents helped a lot and he couldn't be more appreciative but his parents couldn't be replaced.

I knew Henry was hurting a lot but he got through. He got through this, he got through Joy and he got through Kyra. Each stabbing him and dragging him down but each he fought his way through. I look at Henry in nothing but awe.

Joy sat there at the funeral too. She was so weak now she barely sat in her chair right. Her usual gleaming smile was gone and I couldn't even picture Henry on her small face. This was the first time I had seen her look anything but happy. Tears didn't fall and red didn't stain on her face, she was still. Her eyes forward like mine, her emerald eyes had no shine at this point, it was all washed away. Her foster parents held her small perfect hands and hers just rested lifeless in theirs. I wanted to stand up and pick her up, hug her. Hug her and be there for her. I couldn't do that. She was only 9.

Her brown short hair was tied behind and out of her face but she hid her self with other ways. She didn't sit in tears and agony or pain like everyone else. She was still and calm like usual.

we all sat here thinking the same thing. How can that smile be taken from everybody so fast? How can his laugh never be heard again? I looked over to Joy once more but nothing had changed. She probably blinked out of the stare for a second before returning to it. She didn't break the character or if anything the strength. I knew she was sat there trying to be strong like Henry would of been. She didn't need to be strong at this moment though. I wanted to hold her and let her cry because it was normal. She didn't need to sit like Henry at this time and try to be strong like him. She lost her brother how can that be easy for her. It's not easy for anyone and I included who knew him his whole life. She knew him her whole life but he only knew her for part of his. How did that make sense?

I felt like I had to protect Joy now. Not take Henry's place but also not let it disappear. He was her angel and protector but now she had nothing. I couldn't leave her with nothing.