This was the case for a 5-year-old boy named Khayne Kheian Naelgas Castro from the Philippines, who lost his mother during the birth of his younger brother.

Tragically, the boy did not fully understand what death meant and thought his mother was simply asleep, leading to a heartbreaking scene where he fell asleep hugging her coffin.

According to the foreign media outlet Tribun Pekanbaru, Khayne’s mother passed away due to complications during the birth of his younger brother, Cyril Khayzer Castro. The family was left grieving the loss of a young mother and caring for two little boys.

But young Khayne could not grasp the finality of death. He spent much of his time quietly sitting by his mother’s coffin, looking down at her, waiting for her to wake up. He would occasionally lay his head on the coffin, his innocent heart still hopeful that his mother was only temporarily asleep.