Dad asks son why 'God' gave him cancer. His selfless response feels like a gut punch
The dad asked his son to keep smiling, to smile every day, because it is helping millions of people do the same.
“Why did he give you cancer?” When Timothy Valverde asked his son, Hunt, this question, the boy answered, “Because he chose me.” When traumatized by a disease as excruciating as cancer, the patient typically collapses into a heap of hopelessness, anger, and melancholy. But this boy chose to take a different road. Instead of dwelling in sadness or pity, he chose acceptance and surrender, an act that made his dad break down into tears. Initially posted on Valverde's podcast channel (@The1Percent_Work), Robert Singleton (@robertsecond53), a Chicago-based anesthesiologist, recently shared their story in a TikTok post on March 31.
Nicknamed “Dr. Encouragement,” Singleton shares insights from his life as a doctor as well as instances from his patients’ lives that might be healing and empowering to the viewers. In this particular video, however, he shared something that brought millions of people to tears. Valverde asked his son, “If God exists, why does he allow children to have cancer?”
With his head shaved bald, the boy was sitting opposite Valverde on a sofa, with a lamp glowing in the background. Drenched in agony, he broached the question, to which the kid responded, "Because God allows it. God is in control... Because he chose me,” the boy said. When asked why, he answered, "Because I am a special boy.”
Valverde kept on nudging the boy, as if trying to explore the current landscape of his emotions. But every answer the boy gave shattered him a little bit more from within. To have a son who embraced suffering with such intensity was more painful than relieving. Despite being a dad, he couldn’t be a part of his suffering or take it away. “Are you mad at God at all?” Valverde asked. “No,” the boy replied.
What he said next triggered tears that streamed down the father’s face. “I am glad that he chose me and not one like Maddie or Emma,” the boy answered, adding that if not for him, his sisters would have to go through all this pain, which he didn’t want at all. Singleton’s throat swelled with emotion, as depicted through his choking voice.
In what may seem like a heart-wrenchingly poetic dialogue, Valverde asked, “Why is Daddy crying?” The son said, “Because I have to go through this.” The father asked, “Why do you still smile?” With an unusually tranquil face, the boy took a deep breath and said, “Because even though I have pain and stuff, God still makes me happy. And I don’t like to be sad and mad at God.” At the end of the soul-stirring conversation, Singleton encouraged him to “smile” every single day, because it helps millions of people do the same.
Children can be more resilient during challenging times than adults can even imagine. A study published in the BMJ Journals recorded narratives from hundreds of children receiving cancer treatment. Analysis showed that these children were able to cultivate an unusually positive and forward-looking attitude as they recovered. Rather than focusing on the pain, they actively participated in the treatment and developed strong connections with doctors, nurses, and hospital staff.
The comments section became flooded with tear-jerking remarks with people writing prayers for the young boy and wishing that he gets a second chance to live. “If God called you to it, He will equip you for it,” said @_woosdatgirl. @Nesey confessed, “[It] breaks my heart to see this special boy. He understands what most do not.”
Others poured in self-reflections and insights they gathered from the poignant episode. “Turbulence makes a person stronger,” commented @wilbur. @dya professed, “After this video, I realize I don't have any problem!” Another confession, which is also a prompt for self-reflection, came from @name.chad: “This made me realize how ungrateful I am.”
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