The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for 21-year-old Christopher Mininni and his Ontario-based family.
On April 28, his father Jim - who had struggled with lung cancer thrice in the past eight years - was admitted to the intensive care unit at Kingston General Hospital.
The next day, his mother, Cindy suffered a heart attack and was placed on life support at Brockville General Hospital.
With his parents taken to two different hospitals, Christopher recounted running back and forth during the few days after, anxiously waiting for the prognosis.
"It was frightening. I didn't know what to do," Christopher told People Magazine. "It was the worst thing ever."
Christopher said they had tried to transfer their mom to Kingston, but to no avail.
"No one could help us," Christopher said.
Or so they thought. On May 3, his dad's doctor took it in his own hands to transfer his mom to Kingston, but even then it was already a bad sign.
Later, Christopher received the news that a large tumor was blocking his father's airway.
His dad had signed a do-not-resuscitate order, saying that if they can't save him, they shouldn't prolong his life. He had also removed his breathing tube.
"Because of his own wishes we couldn't put it back in," Christopher recalled.
Christopher said his dad was calm until he erupted in tears when he was told that Cindy suffered a heart attack and was staying in the same hospital.
"He truly cared about her more than he cared about himself," Christopher said.
Throughout this ordeal, Cindy remained sedated in a room next to Jim.
When they told Jim that he wasn't going to make it, he got a pen and paper and tried to scribble the letters M and O.
At first, they thought he was trying to write the word "mouth" because he couldn't speak, but when he finally completed the word, it was "mom."
For the first time in its history, Kingston General Hospital put one patient on life support and one patient who got off it in the same room.
Christopher said it was very risky, but the hospital staff did it for them.
When Jim finally saw his wife's face, Christopher said that his face lit up like a kid who's been told that Santa Claus would be coming tomorrow.
Jim held his wife's hand, and Christopher managed to snap a photo of the heartbreaking moment. Jim died a few hours later.
Christopher said it was the roughest thing to watch, but it was also wonderful. He said what encapsulates his dad during his lifetime was that he loved his mother with all of his being.
"That's why I love that photo so much," said Christopher. "I feel like it shows it."
Cindy, who woke up a few days later, asked her family, "Is dad dead?" She is now making her full recovery, and although she has no recollection of the tender moment, Christopher said he will show her the photo.
He has posted the photo on Reddit where it has gone viral. He said he wanted people to see how much love his parents had for one another.
"Nothing could keep them apart," added Christopher.
