When Shoemake and her husband, Tim, returned home to pick out his burial clothes, they spotted a piece of notebook paper sitting on a table that gave them a sign of hope.
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Leland was infected with an amoeba – a cell organism – called Balamuthia mandrillaris that was rapidly infecting his brain.
According to Fox 59, Tim and Amber Shoemake were stunned to find a note from Leland that read, “Stil [sic] with you”. Drawn on the paper is a red heart with the words “mom, dad, love” written inside. “Love”.
“Leland always wrote us notes and drew us pictures”, Shoemake told the Star.
Until then, she silently tells Leland: “Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite!”
His parents took him to a children’s hospital in Atlanta, and he was hospitalized.
Leland’s parents have been updating the Facebook page dedicated to the Georgia boy for the past couple of weeks, letting family and friends know his status and sharing ways to donate and help. Experts believe it enters the body when soil comes into contact with skin through cuts and scratches, or it is breathed in through the nose or mouth. Eventually, his mother noticed that his eyes were crossed and he couldn’t focus on anything. “Leland always wrote us notes and drew us pictures”, she said.
His funeral was held Monday.
Leland loved school, learning about World War II, quoting Adam Sandler movies – and the one thing he loved most: playing in dirt.
The grieving mom added: ‘No one should ever have to bury a child.
In the post, his mother shared her pain at losing her young son.
On the page, they described how the youngster was on “10 different medications” with “terrible” side effects, including bad headaches, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and vision problems.
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Mrs Shoemake had posted on the page the intense treatment her son was forced to go through.
