We don’t always have the knowledge of when we might leave this world.

But, for one incredibly brave mother, the fact that her life is coming to its end has her planning for her son’s future.

And thanks to her family, friends and TikTok, she’s leaving him one last song to remember her by.

“Dance until you love me.” Cat Janice, a singer, and her 7-year-old son, Loren, had made up the simple song to dance along to in the car.

For the next few months, the pair would randomly sing that while in the car together.

So, with an aggressive form of cancer that has put her in hospice, Cat decided to take their phrase and transform it into “Dance You Outta My Head” – possibly the last gift to her son. The proceeds, she directed, would go to Loren, to help him when she wasn’t there.

“I did not even know if I was going to be alive when this song came out, at the time. So I just kind of did it, and now here we are,” Cat said. “And honestly, it’s a miracle.”

@lindseygurkCat Janice is the woman behind this song, and she’s currently in hospice care. She’s signed the rights of this song “Dance You Outta My Head” over to her 7-year old son – so let’s stream it, dance to it, and pray for her family. Cancer sucks. I lost my mom to it when I was pregnant with my son… and this kind of thing would have lifted our spirits. So let’s do what we can to show this family some love. 🙌🏼💕♬ Dance You Outta My Head – Cat Janice

The song, now available to download on iTunes, has been used in more than 34,000 TikTok videos.

What became even more important was the amount of people who said they felt connected to Cat through the song and her experiences.

I did not even know if I was going to be alive when this song came out,” Cat said.

Sophie Soraya Hamidi, 18, said her own experience with cancer made her want to support Cat. She used the song in a video of her getting blood work done.

“Listening to this song, ‘Dance You Outta My Head,’ is kind of a way for me to say, ‘I’m going to not think about this cancer,’” Sophie said.

But, according to David Zierler, owner of Handwritten records (which worked with Cat on an album last year), said that this song has gotten people to notice Cat’s music.

Cat Janice performs in Arlington, VA, Photo by Meredith White

“They’re not just listening to that one song,” he said. “They’re following her. They’re following the story.”

Cat grew up in Virginia, surrounded by music. Her mom was a former DJ and Cat grew up playing the violin and writing songs from an early age.

But in 2022, while working as a geospatial information scientist, and getting her singing career off the ground – she had a life-changing moment. A lump on her neck was sarcoma, a rare cancer.

After 17 rounds of chemotherapy – she was cancer-free. Her now-husband, Kyle Higginbotham, said they bought a house in Florida, planning for their future.

But months later, the cancer was back – and in her lungs.

Cat kept singing, and performing – posting about her life and her illness on TikTok and Instagram.

But Cat’s health had started declining. She and Higginbotham decided they couldn’t afford to wait and get married – so they wed on Dec. 28th, only four months after getting engaged.

Kyle Higginbotham kisses the head of his wife, Cat Janice Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post

“We’re coming up on Christmas,” Higginbotham recalled, “and the conversations with the doctors just started to change from, ‘We think we can beat this thing,’ to, ‘It’s moving very fast.’”

A few days after their wedding, she entered hospice care. And decided that “Dance You Outta My Head” would be her final song, a happy anthem her son could remember her by.

“She just wanted everyone to dance and remember her in that way,” her brother, Will Ipsan said.

And (to) remember her as someone who got you up off your feet, dancing — out of your mind and into your body.”

On the song’s release day, her friends and family threw her a surprise party.

“Truly,” she said, “I feel blessed by God to be able to have this moment with my son.”

Her brother said that Cat is undergoing radiation, which has enabled her to have some more time. The family has created a GoFundMe to help fund continuing treatment.

Cat said she knows this song could very well be her last – but she hopes it will show that she was always true to herself in whatever she did.

“Any art that I’ve left behind, whether it’s pottery or painting or whatever, has just been an expression of myself and just been me,” she said. “Here’s me, you know?”

For a look at this courageous mom and her amazing song, watch below.

Sources: Washington Post | Today