The thoughts of a mother who supported and saw off her son with a rare disease (adrenoleukodystrophy)【Personal Experience】

Jan. 20, 2016（Last Update: June 13, 2026）

The bond between parent and child is eternal: A heart of devotion for my son in heaven

A man who left this world due to a rare disease. The days spent fighting the illness together as a family deepened our bonds and polished our souls, creating invaluable time. Along with the personal account of the heart of the person who fell ill and the family that supported him, we deliver hints for life.
(R.H. / Female / Osaka Prefecture / Reprinted and edited from 'The Evangelist' No. 202)

You who departed for the afterlife after preparing for the 'world beyond death'

With a rare disease called 'adrenoleukodystrophy'

My son T passed away at the age of 32. My son, who suffered from a rare disease, and I lived together for a long time. Even now, when I eat alone at home and see my son's chair, which no one else will sit in, tears overflow. He always made me laugh with his funny comments. That kind child. The memories with my son are endless.

It was when my son was still 19 years old. He was passionate about playing drums and being in a band.
'Mom, when I had a live performance, all the girls were looking at me and screaming,' he said.
'What are you talking about, the ugliest guy in Ibaraki? (laughs)'
'You're the one who gave birth to me! With how much I resemble you, how can you say that!'
My son and I always joked around like that, we were a close parent-child duo.
'I'm going to become a professional drummer and fill my room with 10,000 yen bills.'
He was also a very kind and filial child. However, one day suddenly, he found it difficult to move his legs and could no longer step on the drum pedal. When we visited a local hospital, we were referred to a university hospital in Kyoto. The test results revealed an unfamiliar disease name: 'adrenoleukodystrophy*'. He was to undergo a bone marrow transplant, but there was no guarantee that he would definitely recover, and many people died about two years after the onset of the disease. I was so shocked that everything went dark in front of me.
A few years prior, I had become a believer in Happy Science at the suggestion of my eldest and youngest daughters, and in desperation, I consulted the branch manager of Happy Science.
'You should definitely receive the prayers of Happy Science,' he advised.
At the branch manager's suggestion, I supported my son, who was having a hard time walking, as if carrying him on my back, and we took the Shinkansen to Tokyo. There, we received a prayer called 'Powerful Prayer for Healing Illness,' which was only conducted in Tokyo at that time. After the prayer, my son said, 'Mom, I'm going home,' and started walking briskly. I was truly surprised.
'I can't believe it either. But I can really walk.'
'We received a miracle!'
The miracle that occurred right in front of us due to the prayer... We were so grateful that we both cried tears of joy.

*Adrenoleukodystrophy: A rare disease affecting one in tens of thousands. Symptoms include walking difficulties, speech disorders, hearing loss, and swallowing difficulties, with many cases leading to death within about two years. The main treatment is bone marrow transplantation.

Painful side effects

About 2 to 3 months after the prayer, a donor who would provide bone marrow was found. Many people wait for years for a donor to be found, so I thought it was thanks to the prayer that it was found so quickly. However, the aftermath of the transplant was tough. To prevent the transplanted bone marrow from being attacked by his own bone marrow, strong immunosuppressants were used, and as a result, his body became a wreck. He was vomiting and losing his hair, and it was painful to even look at him.
'If I can't smoke and can't play the drums, I might as well be dead...'
My son, who had been so bright and mischievous, lost all will to live and hope, and became so depressed that he couldn't even swallow food.
'T, it's okay. You can win against the illness with the power of your heart.'
'Even if, by any chance, I die, there is an 'afterlife.' Heaven is a much more wonderful place than this world!'
All four of T's sisters had also become believers in Happy Science, so the whole family continued to encourage him brightly. Previously, he had said, 'Happy Science? I don't need that,' and had only been playing the drums, but he gradually began to find hope to live and started reading Ryuho Okawa's books to learn the teachings.

Out-of-body experiences and near-death experiences

During his illness, my son lost consciousness many times, and during those times, he experienced 'out-of-body experiences*.' He also had 'near-death experiences' where his soul left his body and saw the world beyond, and he shared those experiences with me in vivid detail.
The first near-death experience occurred just before the bone marrow transplant. He said he experienced it when he was dragging an IV to the bathroom and stumbled and fell.
'The other world is incredibly comfortable. There are beautiful flower fields, and I thought, 'I don't want to go back,' but before I knew it, I was in a gray world... I was torn between staying there or returning to my body. I think the gray world is hell. It's a very lonely and desolate world, and I thought, 'I really don't want to be here,' so I came back.'
On another occasion, he said, 'The nurses were discussing, 'Let's have pasta for lunch today,' next to my bed, and the moment I thought, 'I want to eat pasta too!' my soul returned to my body.'
'I can't help but laugh at how you are,' I said. However, I think that because he had near-death experiences multiple times, my son deeply came to believe in the teachings of President Okawa that 'the afterlife is 100 percent real.' And because he was convinced of the afterlife, he was able to transform the suffering of illness and the fear of facing death into hope.

*Out-of-body experience: The soul leaving the body. Many people have near-death experiences where they go to the 'other world' (spiritual realm) and return after various observations.

Never once did he say 'I'm in pain'

My son never held a regular job in his life. Even when he was discharged from the hospital with a stable condition, he could die if he got infected with bacteria, so even a slight cold would send him back to the hospital immediately. He continued to go in and out of the hospital until he passed away. He worked only once at a shop selling macarons.
'Today, we had a meeting,' he said happily, but he couldn't stay there long.
After suffering from pneumothorax* about 5 or 6 years before he passed away, he often had phlegm and struggled to breathe, and his daily life became even more difficult. Still, my son said, 'Thanks to this teaching, I have been able to live this long. I want to be of help to those who have lost hope in life or are suffering from illness,' and he walked to the Happy Science branch located about a 5-minute walk from our home to participate in activities like distributing religious magazines. He walked to the branch, taking more than twice the time of a normal person, slowly and with difficulty, gasping for breath. However, since he started studying at Happy Science, he never once said, 'I'm in pain.'
'Mom, even though my body is sick, my heart is healthy.' That was his catchphrase.

*Pneumothorax: A condition where air leaks into the chest cavity due to a hole in the lung. Symptoms include chest pain, difficulty breathing, and coughing, requiring appropriate treatment in a hospital.

Preparing for departure

About 13 years after the onset of the disease. In Japan, there are hardly any people with the same illness who have lived as long as my son. His existence was a valuable research subject for doctors and a great beacon of hope for those suffering from the same disease. Even in critical condition, whenever the whole family prayed together at Happy Science, my son would revive like a phoenix each time. However, the final moment was surely approaching.
Around this time, my son asked my youngest daughter M, 'Please bring me clothes like this,' or 'I want you to wash my hair,' or 'I want you to cut my nails.' He asked me to bring President Okawa's 'The Eternal Law' open_in_new to the hospital. 'The Eternal Law' is a book that serves as a detailed guidebook about the 'other world.' My son, who was fashionable, probably wanted to be neat and tidy for 'that moment.' He might have wanted to read 'The Eternal Law' once more to review the afterlife...
In any case, I think my son felt that his life in this world was about to end and was preparing for it. At the beginning of October, my son, who had been discharged once, lost consciousness at home and was taken back to the ICU of his university hospital. Immediately, my youngest daughter M prayed at the Happy Science branch, and my son regained consciousness for a moment and was having a normal conversation with my second daughter who rushed over, so we believed that he would be okay this time too. However, ten days later, my son finally exhausted his strength and left this world.

Living with my child in heaven

The funeral was held at the local branch in the 'Happy Science style,' attended by over 150 people. After the chanting, the branch manager offered farewell words for my son.
'You are now finishing your life in this world and will embark on a journey to the 'other world,' your soul's homeland. This ceremony today is to allow Mr. T's soul to return peacefully to the heavenly realm. In your lifetime, you told me that you struggled with your body. You sometimes resented life. However, supported by your family and encountering faith, you are now very happy. You have come to be able to be grateful for everything. And one cold night, someone quietly entered Mr. T's room and gently covered him with a blanket. That was your mother. Mr. T shed tears of gratitude. You never used your illness as an excuse and had a passion to help those who are suffering and to improve the world through your activities at the branch. Even when you had a fever, you rushed to meetings and helped your friends with their concerns. Everyone relied on you and respected you. Please, Mr. T, when you return to the spiritual heavenly realm, I sincerely pray that you will become an even more wonderful being and continue to thrive.'
The venue was filled with tears. The hearts of the attendees united, and it was truly a wonderful ceremony where we prayed from the bottom of our hearts for my son's happiness in the next life.

The sadness of losing my son has not faded even now. However, thinking that 'the other world' exists and 'T has returned to the heavenly realm and is living happily' brings me a sense of relief. My son, who had lost muscle and had become thin due to the side effects of medication, always joked, 'I want to be muscular.'
'Surely, by now, he has returned to his original healthy body in heaven and is full of muscles.'
I reminisce about him while having such conversations with my daughters. While offering my heart of devotion to my son in heaven, I also intend to live looking forward.

The correct way to offer prayers

Excerpted message from 'Faith and Love' (by Ryuho Okawa / Happy Science Publishing) open_in_new

The ancestor worship that exists in the world essentially serves as a comfort for the hearts of the living, but it does not provide actual salvation for the deceased in many cases. In fact, not only does it not provide salvation, but it often has the opposite effect.
This is because those who die without knowing that they are eternal beings and without understanding the true way of living as a human being do not know how to act or what to do after leaving their physical bodies. When their descendants are offering prayers for them, they come without understanding, thinking, 'Ah, they have a responsibility to save me. They have an obligation.'
And if that were all, it would be fine, but sometimes they cause disasters. This is not something that happens because they intend to, and for them, it is a sin they commit unknowingly, but by relying on their descendants, they often bring about illnesses, accidents, and various misfortunes. So, does that mean that those who are lost are saved? They are not saved. This only adds to their sins, prolonging their period of suffering.
Therefore, when offering prayers for the deceased, we must do so in the correct sense. What does it mean to offer prayers in the correct sense? It means that first, the side offering the prayers, that is, the living human beings themselves, must awaken to the true life. They must first know 'this is how humans should live.' If they do not know, they cannot teach others. It is impossible for someone who is living in a way that would truly lead them to hell to save someone who is already in hell. That is merely like calling one kind to another, and it does not lead to salvation.

What separates heaven and hell

However, among the teachings centered on ancestor worship, there are fundamentally incorrect ideas. What are they? Essentially, they are ways of thinking or teachings that do not require the living to reflect on themselves at all. 'Your unhappiness is not your own responsibility. It is because your ancestors are lost. It is because someone from three generations ago became like this. It is because someone is cursing you.' Such thoughts exist.
Indeed, there may be some truth to that. If one were to perform spiritual sight, such things might be observed. However, even if that is true, the mindset that believes their misfortune is created by the actions of others is already hellish. It is hellish in nature. That is why they attract such things.
What separates heaven and hell is simple. It is whether one can correct their own mistakes, that is, whether they can acknowledge their own responsibilities. Or do they blame others or their environment instead of taking responsibility? The choices are simply these two. And those who can reflect on their own responsibilities and make efforts to improve themselves will never fall into hell. It is that simple. However, those who live blaming others or their environment are, in the end, the very ones who actively create hell for themselves.
Therefore, the desire to offer prayers for ancestors is itself a heart of love, but the mindset that believes they are unhappy because their ancestors are cursing them, and that they can become happy if they cut that off, is the opposite of an act of love. The love I speak of is the love that gives and serves others, but this opposite act, that is, the love that takes away, or the love that seeks to take from others, in other words, the mindset that tries to adjust their happiness or unhappiness based on others, leads to such a direction.
As such people increase, society as a whole begins to become strange, and the population of hell also increases. This fundamental point must first be grasped.

Shall we find and solve the 'problem set of life'?

We are conducting life consultations

Happy Science supports the resolution of worries and the improvement of life. If you have worries or concerns, please feel free to visit the branch. Experienced branch managers and instructors who have trained at Happy Science will listen to you. We will protect your privacy, so please feel free to talk.