Children share heartbreaking photo of terminally ill parents holding hands for the last time

Image 1 of 5

Credit: Bennet Family

The powerful and moving photo shows their two parents, side by side, in their hospital beds, holding hands in what would be their last moments together.

Oliver, 13, Hannah, 18, and Luke, 21, Bennet shared the intimate moment between their mother and father, shortly before 57-year-old Mike Bennet died from a brain tumor on Feb. 6.

Within days, the three children found themselves saying goodbye again, this time to their mother.

50-year-old Julie Bennet died on Saturday, also from cancer.

Last May, doctors found cancer in her liver and kidneys and the tumors then spread.  

Her diagnosis came while she was caring for her husband who had been battling a brain tumor since 2013.

Last month, as the end of life neared for Mike and Julie, their friends and family moved to help the Bennets' three children.  

They launched a fundraising campaign aimed at bringing as much stability has possible to the children's lives.

On the online crowd-funding website, JustGiving, organizers wrote that they are raising money "to help Luke Hannah and Oliver continue to live at home and be able to sustain their activities and studies."

The children are all involved in the performing arts, according to the JustGiving page. "All three children love performing and have given many people a great deal of joy in their performances. They are now in need of your help," organizers wrote. 

More than 10,000 people have responded to that call for help.

As of Tuesday morning, donations totaled more than £230,000 (more than $290,000).

Family spokeswoman Heather Heaton Gallagher told KTVU.com, the children are "flabbergasted" over the support they've received.  

"Hannah has also been selected to represent England at the World Dance Competition in Germany this year. Now she'll be able to go!" Heaton Gallagher added.  

In a message posted last week, before their mother's passing, the children expressed their gratitude to those who have reached out to help.

"We just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has donated and sent their support in this difficult time; we really appreciate it and would like everyone to know that our mum takes a great amount of comfort from knowing that we are being supported so well by friends, family and kind-hearted strangers."

If you would like to make a donation, you can find the Bennet children's JustGiving page here