Please Don't Go: The Gaelen Matthews Story by Liesl Coetzee

“Please, Don’t Go” is the story is a heart-wrenching and raw portrayal of love, loss, and the crushing grief that comes with the death of a child. It is a dad’s story about the profoundly emotional journey of watching his seven-year-old son battle leukaemia, capturing each fragile moment of hope, heartbreak, and inevitable sorrow.

From the first signs of his son’s illness to the long days spent in hospital rooms, his world becomes consumed by the disease. Life turns into a relentless fight against time, uncertainty, and circumstance. The vivid and honest narration takes readers into the father’s psyche, reflecting his inner turmoil, helplessness as a protector, the devastating weight of a parent's worst fear, and the search for the truth, even though he wasn’t ready to hear it.

Through this poignant recounting of the loss, the book explores the anguish of seeing someone you love slip from your grasp and the silent battle fought within when you can’t stop the inevitable.

A story of profound heartache, “Please, Don’t Go” offers an intimate look at the emotional and psychological trauma that follows the loss of a child and how the father’s life is irrevocably altered as he faces the unthinkable.

It’s a tribute to love, a raw exploration of grief, and a powerful reminder of how deeply the loss of a child affects the very core of a parent’s existence.