Single Mom Passes Out On The Floor While Playing With Son, Reveals Heartbreaking Truth

Ignoring The Messages

She let the buzzing and pinging go unnoticed but knew she couldn’t go on like this when the phone calls started coming in. She would have to respond.

She replied to a few messages saying that her son had gotten a hold of her phone. A few were shocked at how tired and malnourished she looked in the picture, but they hadn’t known the truth.

Mystery Symptoms

Erica was pale and had random bouts of exhaustion. Her appetite vanished, and her health continued to decline. Her friends were growing increasingly worried. Weeks after her first visit, they dragged her back to the doctor. 

They were surprised that a strong, young woman with a healthy immune system like Erica, who should have overcome the flu weeks ago, was still deteriorating. Now, they were growing concerned, too.

Tests

The doctor, beginning to take Erica seriously, ran blood and allergy tests in hopes of picking up any disease or intolerance. All the tests confirmed that she was a healthy woman. 

They didn’t have a diagnosis, but they decided to try an “elimination” approach, so she was put on several different antibiotics. Her doctor had hoped that her reaction to the medications would give her an insight into her ailment, but instead, the opposite happened.

Feeling Worse

Erica started to feel worse instead of better. She had body aches and could barely keep her eyes open. Then the mystery illness started to take a toll on her mental health. Her friends and family members started to worry. 

Maybe the illness was all in her head? But no, Erica knew her body and she knew something wasn’t right. Her friends witnessed her deterioration first-hand, and they also knew in their hearts that something just wasn’t right.

Hitting The Floor

Erica couldn’t focus. But with her son begging for her attention, she mustered up every piece of her strength to smile and play along. They were playing with lego and toy figurines. 

Still, her eyelids grew heavy, her breath shallow, and she couldn’t hold on. Just for a little while, she thought. Suddenly, her son’s coos became distant noises in the background and she hit the floor.

Taking A Photo

Erica Olofsson was a thirty-year-old social worker and mother to the best kid a mother could ask for named Luke. They lived in San Francisco, California.

Erica managed her time between work and her son while they lived a simple and happy life. When her son snapped a photo that seemed harmless, she was unaware of the implications.

Starting A New Life

Erica had grown up an independent woman and had proven it by not groveling or wallowing when the relationship with Luke’s father ended. There was no point living in the past.

Alternatively, she and her son started a new life where they would be happy. There was no way of knowing that the happiness wouldn’t last and that chaos would soon fill her home.

Daily Routine

Her new life became simple with working during the day while Luke was at school. She would leave at four to pick him up, and they’d go home.

They would get comfortable and work on Luke’s homework together before dinner. They watched kid’s films before Luke’s bedtime, and the daily routine suited them. But it wouldn’t always be that way.

Always Tired

Erica worked hard to support her son. She was no CrossFit enthusiast, but she lived a moderately active life. 

Lately, she was always tired. She had convinced herself that she was just run down from stress and work. But her friends were worried, and they had every right to be.

A Quick Nap

That week had included a change neither of them saw coming. It was a calm Sunday afternoon, and they had been playing with Legos when Erica had fallen asleep.

She had only been asleep for a few minutes, but what was done was done. Her son was standing over her with her phone in his hands and a smile when her eyes opened. What did he do?

When She Woke Up

Erica greeted Luke with a smile and reached for the six-year-old. He crouched down and then curled into her body as they lay on the carpet.

Erica was still sleepy when she took the phone from her son but shot right up when she saw what was on her phone. What had he done?

Harmless Photo

While his mom had been sleeping, Luke had taken a harmless photo of her. Erica found that he had accidentally posted it on Instagram and worried what her friends and family would think.

Would they question her ability to look after her kid? She felt a sting in her belly and rubbed at it as she reached for Luke. She hissed out a breath to ease the worry, thinking that a small photo was nothing compared to what she had going on.

Juice And Fruits

Erica and Luke went to the kitchen to search for snacks after she had set her phone aside. They enjoyed their fruits and juice and returned to the Legos on the carpet.

She cursed silently when her phone pinged with messages. She knew that people were taking notice of the photo Luke had taken.

Needed To Respond

She let the buzzing and pinging go unnoticed but knew she couldn’t go on like this when the phone calls started coming in. She would have to respond.

She replied to a few messages saying that her son had gotten a hold of her phone. A few were shocked at how tired and malnourished she looked in the picture, but they hadn’t known the truth.

Hospital Visits

Most of the comments were correct in their descriptions of her, but she couldn’t say that being a mother had left her malnourished and exhausted.

Erica had frequented the hospital for the past couple of weeks before the photo, and what she had endured while there was reason enough for her appearance.

Her Family

Most of Erica’s family lived on the East Coast, with the nearest family member being in Arizona. Additionally, Erica wasn’t that close with her family, to begin with.

She didn’t want to bother them with her problems, no matter how challenging they were. She’d always found a way out of her problems. That wasn’t about to change now.

Looking For A Cure

Erica gulped down a cocktail of vitamins and over-the-counter medicines in an attempt to recuperate. She took Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Zinc, and Iron— but none of it seemed to help. 

After a few weeks, her friends forced her to go and see a doctor. But the doctor just confirmed what she already knew, and she was given a sick note to take a few days off from work to rest. But her illness was unshakeable.

Searching For Answers

Erica, determined to get to the bottom of her illness, searched for her symptoms online. She spoke to “experts” in online chats, and she tried herbal treatments and natural remedies, but nothing seemed to be helping. 

As time went by, more and more people lost faith in her, and no one could give her answers. She had never felt so alone before. Maybe it really was just all in her head? 

Second Opinion

Finally deciding to get a second opinion, it took a few weeks for Erica to get her results from the tests back. 

And when the doctor called she asked her to rather come in–she would prefer to speak with her in person about her test results. When she left the doctor’s office, she couldn’t breathe.

Feeling Paralyzed

Suddenly, an intense wave of tiredness washed over her and she felt almost paralyzed. With her working day nearly finished, she tried to ignore what the doctor had told her and distracted herself with thoughts of her son. 

She wondered what he might want to do for the evening. The distraction was working, she began to feel normal again. But not for long. 

Hitting The Breaks

Back in the car once more, Erica was looking forward to being at home. She missed her son and needed his light-heartedness to erase this weird day she’s been having. 

She arrived at a crossroads and made the turn toward home. She was halfway there when it happened again. The intense wave of tiredness. Except this time, she felt dizzy. Then something else happened and she lunged for the brakes. 

A Warm Embrace

She managed to pull her car over safely and gave in to the pain. Everything hurt. She gave herself a few more moments. Waiting for it to pass. When it finally did, she started towards home once more. 

Arriving home, she welcomed Luke into her arms with a big smile and hug. She asked if he was hungry and made dinner. But there was only one thing on her mind.

The Diagnosis 

After becoming sick and tired of her mystery symptoms, Erica sought medical advice from a new doctor. 

While the doctor was still hopeful for her future, “It was pretty hard to process,” she wrote on her blog.“All I wanted to know was if I was going to die or not and that, they couldn’t really answer.”

The Reason

Erica assured everyone that she was doing fine. But the truth was that she had been diagnosed with stage 2 stomach cancer about two months before.

She was currently undergoing two different chemotherapy treatment programs, each of which, combined with the pressure the cancer was putting on her body, was why her life had changed so much. But despite everything that she was going through, one thing never changed.

Everything Stays The Same

Erica never changed her dynamic with Luke. She still showed up at his school at 4 pm to pick him up, helped him freshen up, ate dinner, and watched his favorite movies.

She also took the time out of her resting schedule to play with him over the weekend. Speaking to a local reporter, she would finally reveal everything to the world, including the state of her health.

Brave And Outspoken

She created a blog and overcame the fear of sharing her own personal story online. Erica explains that social media was a great form of therapeutic release and support for her.

“It has helped me, both writing thoughts and feelings down and connecting with others,” she said. But Erica had her own idea of help in mind.

Giving Back

As well as being a member of multiple different societies, Erica gave back to her cancer community by raising money for non-profit cancer outreach organizations.

As a keen kayaker and wild swimmer, she completed a one-mile swim despite being seriously ill at the time. She was never happier than when she was near the ocean and surrounded by nature. 

Her Fight

Erica shared her fight with cancer and how much it had all changed her life. She revealed that she sometimes wanted to stay in bed and not get out, but thinking about her son made her wake up and face the day head-on. 

Erica is also self-confessed “fighter.” She took every day as it came and took every new challenge in her stride. To try to make sense of what was happening and to document her battle, she turned more and more to her writing. 

Daily Chemotherapy

It wasn’t long until Erica was going for chemo-radiotherapy on a daily basis. And it was around that time that she began to notice the effect her illness was having on her son.

She also shared that everything she was doing was for little Luke, who, despite his young age, had realized something was wrong with her. But the news about her health would leave everyone speechless.

A Harmless Photo

Erica revealed that each round of chemotherapy, although taxing on her physical and mental wellness, worked well in helping her combat the cancerous cells. 

Her doctors were impressed with her treatment response and were projecting a speedy recovery. Strangers, family, and friends visited Erica, surrounding her with their love and support. To think it all started with a harmless photograph.

In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.