Varduhi Iskandaryan, Parent of a Pediatric Cancer Patient, shared a heartbreaking message on Facebook:
“Dear Our Beloved MSK Family,
A few days ago, we opened your letters.
For a few moments, time stood still.
Months have passed, yet you still remember our little Gabi. Reading the memories you wrote about her was one of the most precious gifts we have ever received. It reminded us that love does not disappear with time. It stays. It lives in every memory, every smile, and every heart it has touched.
As we read your words, we could almost hear her laughter again.
Every message spoke about her smile, her kindness, her courage, her hugs, her endless joy, and the light she brought into your lives. Many of you wrote that caring for Gabi was an honor.
But today, we want you to know something from the bottom of our hearts.
The honor was ours.
Out of all the hospitals in the world, God chose you to walk beside our daughter.
You welcomed her with open hearts. You loved her without limits. You made her feel safe in a place that could have been frightening. You celebrated birthdays, danced, laughed, played, and turned hospital days into childhood memories.
People often ask us how we survived those difficult months.
The answer is simple.
Because we were never alone.
We had you.
When we remember MSK, we don’t remember machines or hospital rooms. We remember people. We remember faces filled with compassion. We remember nurses who became family, doctors who treated Gabi as if she were their own child, and every member of your team who gave a piece of their heart to our little girl.
You fought for her with everything you had.
And although life wrote a different ending than the one we all prayed for, please never doubt what you accomplished.
You gave our daughter happiness.
You gave her reasons to laugh when the world expected tears.
You gave her hope.
You gave her love.
You gave us memories that no illness can ever take away.
That is a victory no disease can erase.
Gabi loved you.
And because she loved you, a part of her will always remain within the walls of MSK—in every hallway where she laughed, in every room where she danced, and in every heart that still remembers her.
We believe that love never ends.
That is why we know Gabi’s light is still shining, and a small part of that light belongs to each of you.
Thank you for loving our miracle.
Thank you for believing in her.
Thank you for giving our family strength when we had none left.
We will carry your kindness in our hearts for the rest of our lives.
With eternal gratitude, endless love, and the deepest respect,
Gabi’s Mom and Dad.”
