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Julianna Snow: 5-Year-Old Dying Girl Makes The Ultimate Decision, Heaven Over The Hospital

By Lindsay McCane
Published on: 00:52 PST, Oct 29, 2015

Julianna Snow is only 5-years-old. However, she has experienced more pain in her short life than most of us will ever experience in our entire lifetime, and she is tired of hurting. Therefore, Julianna is choosing Heaven over the hospital.

Julianna is dying from an incurable, degenerative neuromuscular disease called Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT). She has spent the past 18 months in and out of the hospital, and has had countless procedures to keep her going.

Earlier this year, Julianna’s parents, Michelle Moon and Steve Snow, asked their daughter what she wanted to do the next time she got seriously ill and had to go to the hospital. Her answer was simple, and profound for such a young girl. Julianna said she would rather go to Heaven than spend anymore time at the hospital.

Michelle Moon wrote a blog post titled “My Daughter Wants to Choose Heaven Over the Hospital” on a website called the Mighty, which is for families that are struggling with disabilities, illnesses, and other life and death issues. Michelle wrote the post in May, explaining her daughter’s decision.

“Last fall, we made the difficult decision to enroll in hospice,” Michelle wrote. “It didn’t feel right, but we were told that we could revoke it at any time. The plan was to try it out, get more support at home and go to the hospital again if she got sick.”

A few months into hospice care, Michelle said Julianna made it very clear that she did not want to go back to the hospital. Michelle admitted that she didn’t think Julianna could survive another illness without treatment, so she had several conversations with her daughter about Heaven. She told her Julianna that she will no pain in Heaven, and she will be able to run and play. She told her that there will be no hospitals in Heaven, and God will be there with her.

Michelle shared one of their heartbreaking conversations. Read it below.

Julianna: Mom, do you want me to get a shot?

Me: It depends. If you need the shot…

J: Do you want me to go the hospital and get a shot?

M: You don’t want to go to the hospital, right, J?

J: I don’t like NT [naso-tracheal suction, the thing she hated the most from the hospital].

M: I know. So if you get sick again, you want to stay home?

J: I hate NT. I hate the hospital.

M: Right. So if you get sick again, you want to stay home. But you know that probably means you will go to heaven, right?

J: (nods)

M: And it probably means that you will go to heaven by yourself, and Mommy will join you later.

J: But I won’t be alone.

M: That’s right. You will not be alone.

J: Do some people go to heaven soon?

M: Yes. We just don’t know when we go to heaven. Sometimes babies go to heaven. Sometimes really old people go to heaven.

J: Will Alex [her 6-year-old brother] go to heaven with me?

M: Probably not. Sometimes people go to heaven together at the same time, but most of the time, they go alone. Does that scare you?

J: No, heaven is good. But I don’t like dying.

M: I know. That’s the hard part. We don’t have to be afraid of dying because we believe we go to heaven. But it’s sad because I will miss you so much.

J: Don’t worry, I won’t be alone.

M: I know. I love you.

J: Madly.

M: Yes, I love you madly. I’m so lucky.

J: And I’m so lucky.

M: Why?

J: Because you love me madly.

In June, Moon wrote a second column, titled “How Our Daughter Helps Us Face Our Greatest Fear,” further explaining their decision to stop treatment.

“We had taught Julianna our belief that there is a better place for her. In heaven, she will be able to walk, jump and play. She will not need machines to help her breathe, and she will be able to eat real food. There will be no hospitals,” Moon wrote. “Very clearly, my 4-year-old daughter was telling me that getting more time at home with her family was not worth the pain of going to the hospital again. I made sure she understood that going to heaven meant dying and leaving this Earth. And I told her that it also meant leaving her family for a while, but we would join her later. Did she still want to skip the hospital and go to heaven? She did.”

While there are those who think Julianna is too young to make such a decision, her doctors and hospice nurses agree with their decision. Danny Hsia, her pulmonologist, told CNN there is “no light at the end of the tunnel” for Julianna, and she doesn’t have much longer to live. Hsia went on to call Julianna’s parents phenomenal, and said they only want what’s best for their daughter.

Dianna Scolaro, a nurse that cared for Julianna through three intensive care unit stays, also agrees with their decision.

“You have to know what it’s like to hold down a child and hear them scream so you can stick a tube down their nose. It’s one thing to do that when you know you’ll have a success at the end, but for Julianna, there is no success,” she said, adding that she wants Julianna to be able to die at home in her princess room rather than in a cold hospital.

What do you think about Julianna Snow’s parents allowing her to make this life or death decision? Leave your comments below.

[Photo via Shutterstock]

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