Boy held his unconscious mom's hand one last time — then she opened her eyes to say a final goodbye

The loss of a parent leaves a mark that time does not erase, and for a child, that loss is not only the absence of a parent’s voice or touch but also the slow unraveling of routines, comfort, and safety. And yet, within the hardest goodbyes, some moments carry small, final exchanges that become the most lasting memories. In one family's final hours together, a young boy’s presence beside his mother became the reason she opened her eyes one last time, to say goodbye. On an episode of The Unplanned Podcast (@unplanned_podcast) by Matt and Abby, guest Taylor Odlozil recounted the final day he spent with his wife, Haley, as she neared the end of a long battle.

Odlozil explained how his wife was feeling in the hospital room, "She's looking at everybody looking at her. She's just surrounded by everybody." "She's like, 'This is it, isn't it? This is the end,'" he shared. Later that day, he knew it was time for their young son, Weston, to understand what was happening. "I realized I needed to go get Weston so I could explain to my son for the last time that mommy is going to heaven. This is it," he said, adding, "So I go get Weston, and everyone leaves to give us some privacy." He then faced the impossible task of helping his son say goodbye.

"I told you that Mommy was gonna go to heaven," he reminded Weston gently. "Yeah, I know, Dad," Weston replied. Both of them held Haley’s hands, who was "in a sleep state." Odlozil continued speaking to his son, trying to ease the heaviness of the moment, saying, "I want you to know that it's nothing that you did wrong. You are an incredible son. And the reason that your mother is here right now is because of you. She's fought this long because of you." Then, just as Weston was grabbing his mother's hand, she stirred. "She just kind of, like, came out of nowhere and looked at Weston," Odlozil said. Weston spoke first, "I love you, Mommy," and then, against all odds, she replied, "I love you, too, Weston." "That was the last thing she ever said," Odlozil shared.

Moments like these don’t soften the loss, but they become a kind of anchor, proof that love remained, even at the very end. The story touched millions online, many of whom saw their own grief reflected in that final exchange. @blazedashley commented, "The power of a mother’s love to get the strength to come to and say those words to him. May she rest peacefully." @gabriellewood13 wrote, "The moment he got to share with his mom at the end is so incredible and as awful as it all is, so important for healing and closure. So many people wish they could have gotten that moment in the end."

@donnarosen807 shared, "I am in tears just hearing you describing the final moments. She's no longer suffering. She's watching over you." @foreverfourronnie added, "I just recently had to explain to my 6-year-old that her 4-year-old brother was going to heaven to go be with our grandpa due to cancer. It was so hard. We just lost him on 9/7." @irieeedixon wrote, "Devastating. To leave your small child, and for them not to be able to ask for you again—it destroys me."

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