A video has captured the bittersweet moment that a man tried to make his dying mother-in-law laugh for one of the last times, resonating with social media users.
In the TikTok clip, Sarah Herrington shared the moment her husband, Josh, attempted to bring a smile to her mom’s face by doing a cartwheel in her hospital room. Herrington spoke to Newsweek about the loving act and what it says about her husband’s kind character.
“Late nights but it’s my mom dying of cancer and my husband trying to make her laugh one more time,” she captioned the video.
A Husband’s Unwavering Support
Herrington said their lives were turned upside down in August 2024, when her mother went into hospital for blood clots and was eventually diagnosed with cancer that had spread throughout her body. “It all came as a big surprise,” Herrington said, explaining that her mom was given only a few weeks to live.
Faced with the shocking news, the family decided to bring Herrington’s mom home on hospice. Herrington said that she and her family were scared and unsure of what to do—yet in this difficult moment her husband was strong and steady.
“My husband Josh was my rock through this difficult time,” she said. “He was by my side through the whole thing.”
Herrington took a leave of absence from work to care for her mom at home for nine days, until she passed away in the family living room. Her husband’s support was unwavering, as he went on to preach at his mother-in-law’s funeral.
A Final Laugh
Herrington described her mother as “the best mom and Nana” and said the family was always very close. Herrington and her husband of 26 years were high school sweethearts, and because her parents wouldn’t let them go out, they spent a lot of time at her house. As a result, the bond between mother-in-law and son-in-law was especially strong.
“He and my mom have always been close, and she loved him like he was her own,” Herrington said. “He always liked to do things to make her smile, so when he decided to do a cartwheel in the hospital, she just smiled and shook her head—she was extremely weak and bedridden.”
Social Media Reacts
The video has garnered more than 1.9 million views and more than 200 comments on TikTok, with users sharing similar memories of their loved-ones’ final days and praising Herrington’s husband.
“i bet in that moment she felt so at peace knowing her baby married the right guy,” one person wrote.
“He’s a keeper,” another posted.
A third wrote: “& he was hurting so much I’m sure.”
A Love That Endures
Herrington said she “couldn’t have made it through this past year without Josh.”
“He helps me remember my mom daily,” she said. “We had to sell my childhood home a few months ago—the place where I was brought home from the hospital, grew up, had my first kiss with my now husband and shared so many holidays—and it broke me, but he was there to make me smile and remind me of all the good memories.”
The video is a testament to his deep love for his family; a moment of bittersweet humor and a reminder of how a simple act of love can provide comfort during a time of immense grief. “You will never find a kinder, more generous soul than my husband,” Herrington said.
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