Amelia Jones
A mum has recently opened up about the pain of losing all three of her adult sons to cancer in just three years.
Lorelei Go is a single mom from the Philippines who had a close relationship with her sons Rowden, Hasset, and Hisham from their early years until they passed on in their late 20s.
"I'm both their mother and father," she explained.
"I went to every basketball game to show my support," the 65-year-old mum told PhilSTAR L!fe.
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Lorelei's eldest son, Rowden, was first to be diagnosed with stage-four liver cancer in 2014.
Lorelei noticed that he was losing weight and had frequent stomach aches but said he faced his diagnosis 'bravely'.
"I couldn't say anything or breathe," she recalls.
But her boys encouraged her to be brave for Rowden, as he fought through his three-week treatment.
During that time he married his girlfriend, Liezel at the hospital on 10 June 2014.
He passed the following day while Lorelei was at home.
She told L!fe that she could barely stand or walk after hearing the news.
A month after her eldest son was cremated, the rest of the family were checked for tumours.
Hasset had a large tumour and Hisham had cirrhosis.
Hasset needed immediate surgery. The operation was an initial success, with the doctor removing the tumour and assuring Lorelei that the part of Hasset's liver that was removed would grow back.
But not long after, the single mom learned that the cancer was back and stage three.
He deteriorated over the following year with his mum sharing: "I was strong because he was."
Hasset, 29, passed away on 24 October 2015.
Lorelei kept motivated by living for her youngest son Hisham.
"Hisham was even more brave than my other two, because he experienced what his brothers went through," she shared.
Despite trying to find holistic treatments, Hisham's condition developed into stage one liver cancer in 2016.
The family travelled to China for treatment in 2017, but when they arrived learned his cancer was stage four and he was no longer eligible.
He didn't want to be in hospital so stayed at home with a private nurse.
He passed away on 17 November 2017.
"I collapsed because of my sadness and pain," Lorelei said.
"The thing that hurts most is that I didn't see Hisham when he left. I regret so much that I didn't see him."
She describes losing him as the 'final blow', but remembers her sons telling her 'not to be sad forever'.
Five years later, Lorelei can't believe she survived.
When asked for advice to parents, she said: "Don't just give in no matter how painful it is.
"Fight for your loved ones."