Mom who shared gut-wrenching pic of son battling cancer, announces he's cancer-free now

In 2019, a Texas mom shared a heartbreaking image of a child, leaning over a toilet vomiting because of the chemotherapy he was been put through. Kaitlin Burge’s son Beckett, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, was seen being comforted by his 'protector' sister Aubrey. Burge shared the image on Facebook, writing, "Vomiting between play sessions. Waking up to throw up. Standing by her brother's side and rubbing his back while he gets sick." Two years on, Kaitlin Burge comes bearing good news. Beckett, who's 6 now, is cancer-free and received his last treatment in August. He also had his port removed last week, reported TODAY.

His sister Aubrey, 7, and the family couldn't be happier. The Burge family is planning a trip to the beach to celebrate the joyous news. He doesn’t care which beach as long as there are no sharks!” jokes Kaitlin. It's been a long painful journey for the family that involved more than three years of chemotherapy and hospital overnights. Beckett is now starting to play baseball as well. Kaitlin says she still freezes when she looks back at all that her son went through. “Sometimes when I’m by myself, l’ll start crying… just thinking about everything he went through. I mean, there was a time when doctors were telling us that Beckett was going to die. They sent a chaplain up and everything," said Kaitlin. “He’s overcome every obstacle that been thrown at him. And I'm just so grateful he's here."

She and her husband, Matthew also share a 3-year-old daughter, Chandler. The image of Aubrey comforting Beckett went viral on the internet and Kaitlin says they are inseparable. “They walk to and home from school together. Even though they each have their own rooms, they sleep together,” said Kaitlin. “Those two have an unbreakable bond. She’s often the first person he goes to when he needs help with something. I'm like, 'What the heck? I'm right over here!'" Aubrey is always there for him and Kaitlin recalled a recent incident where teachers are also turning to Aubrey because she can get through to Beckett unlike anyone else. “She knows exactly how to comfort him,” said Kaitlin. “Aubrey is very motherly. She knows what to do."

Beckett was diagnosed with leukemia in 2018. Kaitlin spoke about Aubrey being his anchor during those tough times. “Aubrey knows he has cancer. She’s been his best friend and his protector. She always makes sure he has what he needs," said Kaitlin Burge, reported Inside Edition. Burge wrote about how Beckett's diagnosis had affected the family and Aubrey in particular. "One thing they don’t tell you about childhood cancer is that it affects the entire family. You always hear about the financial and medical struggles, but how often do you hear about the struggles families with other children face?" wrote Burge on Facebook two years ago. "My then 4 year-year-old watched her brother go from an ambulance to the ICU. She watched a dozen doctors throw a mask over his face, poke and prod him with needles, pump a dozen medications through his body, all while he laid there helplessly. She wasn’t sure what was happening. All she knew was that something was wrong with her brother, her best friend," added Burge.

She said it was hard for Aubrey to process it, considering she had seen him very healthy and running about until then. "She watched him struggle to walk and struggle to play. The lively, energetic, and outgoing little brother she once knew was now a quiet, sick, and very sleepy little boy. He never wanted to play," wrote Burge. She also wrote about the importance of keeping Aubrey in the loop. "Why did we take his sister with us and why did she see all of this at a young age? Children need support and togetherness, and should not be kept at a distance from the person who is ill. The most important thing is to show that they are taken care of regardless of the situation," wrote Burge.

Beckett is now cancer-free and he knows that his sister will be around to protect him no matter what.