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Dorian Murray: Family Requests Prayers For ‘Peaceful Transition To Heaven’

By Jennifer Deutschmann
Published on: 12:49 PST, Mar 5, 2016

Dorian Murray’s family is requesting prayers for a “pain-free and peaceful transition to heaven.” The heartbreaking announcement was made on the Praying for Dorian Facebook Page on Saturday morning. According to the post, the 8-year-old boy has reached the “end of life” and has begun slipping away.

In April 2012, Dorian’s family noticed an unusual lump in the soft tissue of his right knee. Before the end of the month, the then 4-year-old boy was diagnosed with stage four cancer.

In addition to the tumor on his knee, doctors discovered tumors on his chest, hip, and spine. Further testing confirmed his bone marrow was also infected with the aggressive disease.

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is an aggressive soft tissue cancer which forms in the skeletal muscles. Although there are three types of rhabdomyosarcoma, Alveolar generally forms in the abdomen, legs, and chest. The National Cancer Institute reports a vast majority of patients with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma are diagnosed as children and pre-teens.

In the year following his initial diagnosis, Dorian Murray underwent more than 50 radiation treatments, 27 weeks of chemotherapy, and six surgeries. However, by June 2013, his doctors declared there were “no signs of original tumor remaining and no new tumor growth.”

As discussed on the Praying for Dorian Facebook Page, the doctors were hesitant to say the boy’s cancer was “in remission.” However, they were cautiously optimistic.

Six months later, Dorian’s family announced that doctors discovered new tumors at the base of his spine and near his pancreas. They immediately prescribed five more weeks of radiation and 41 more weeks of chemotherapy.

Throughout 2014 and 2015, Dorian Murray and his family experienced many periods of hope and despair. However, on January 1, the family announced the cancer had spread throughout Dorian’s body and future treatment was unlikely to be successful.

“The rhabdo has passed into his spinal cord and small cancer cells are floating in his spinal fluid throughout his spine and brain. Chemotherapy… will no longer give him extended time… We told him what was happening. We told him he had a choice; continue chemo and possibly gain days or a week at most, or, stay home and be comfortable… Dorian easily made his choice, and his father and I support him.”

On January 10, Dorian Murray revealed he had one wish. He wanted to be famous before he went “to heaven.” Within days, people were sharing the boy’s story and sending messages of hope from around the world.

Although Dorian Murry’s health was failing, the overwhelming response gave him, and his family, a reason to smile amid their devastating pain.

Unfortunately, the Murrays announced Dorian took a turn for the worse on Friday evening.

“D is sleeping almost 20 hours a day, he is mostly unresponsive and when he is responsive his words are slurred and incoherent. He has also stopped eating… We are sad and scared… Please don’t let this be the end. I’m not ready. But, I never will be.

Later that same evening, Dorian’s mother confirmed her son had reached the “end of life” and was beginning to slip away. She also requested prayers that her son would have a “pain-free and peaceful transition to heaven.”

In the last two months, Dorian Murray’s wish came true. The brave little boy became famous around the world and the Praying for Dorian Facebook Page received nearly 110,000 “likes.”

Although the last four years have been devastating for Dorian Murray and his family, the outpouring of love and support from around the world helped ease their incomprehensible pain.

[Image via Facebook]

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