Hadley was more than just a dog; she was named after the dormitory where Laur's parents met. She was part of the family before the children came along, a witness to the making of their home. But from the moment the eldest daughter was born, the dog seemed to find her true calling: to be the little girl's protective shadow.
"Hadley would sleep in her room, right next to the cot, and followed her everywhere as soon as she started walking," recalls Laur. For years, they grew up together, forming an inseparable pair that nothing seemed able to break.
A deceptive silence
Last September, Hadley sadly passed away from an illness. While all four children were able to say their goodbyes, Laur was concerned about her eldest daughter's silence. The little girl hardly ever spoke about the dog, as if she had already moved on.
But the truth came to light when Laur turned on her daughter's iPad this January. On the lock screen, she discovered a photo of the two companions, Hadley and the little girl, together forever in a digital memory. "I realised she was mourning the loss of her oldest friend, in silence," the mother shared, deeply moved by her discovery.
A message that resonates with thousands
The video of this private moment, shared on 2nd January, quickly surpassed 350,000 views. Viewers, moved to tears, shared their own stories of childhood grief. According to experts, this behaviour is quite common. A child's grief can be 'invisible' and may involve private rituals, like choosing a special photo to keep close.
Today, that photo on the iPad is more than just a lock screen. It's a digital shrine, proof that for this little girl, her 'four-legged sister' will never truly be gone.
