A devastating video has captured the moment a young boy calls out for his dead mum – as he stands beside her coffin at her funeral.
The heartbreaking clip shows the toddler, believed to be just three years old, struggling to understand the finality of death.
Standing by the open casket, the youngster places his ear against it and repeatedly asks: “Mummy?”
READ MORE: Gym-goer, 19, breaks both knees in horror workout accident
When no answer comes, he turns to his aunts and says: “No, no, she doesn’t say anything.”
In another gut-wrenching moment, the little boy is heard pleading with his mum to “wake up”.
He spends several minutes beside the coffin, gently tapping it – hoping for a response that never comes.
The emotional scenes were filmed at a funeral home in El Rosario de La Paz, El Salvador, last week.
According to local reports, the boy’s mother, Yasmin, had been battling a short but aggressive illness in hospital before her death.
The exact cause has not been publicly confirmed.
His aunts brought him to the wake so he could say goodbye, as reported by Need To Know.
The clip has since sparked an outpouring of emotion online.
One person said: “He is looking for the only person who has been his whole world, and he doesn’t understand why she won’t answer.”
Another person added: “My heart is in pieces.”
A third user wrote: “This is the cruellest part of life, that kid is going to need so much love to fill the void.”
Experts say the video highlights how young children often struggle to grasp death.
Child bereavement specialists explain that under-fives can see death as temporary – making moments like this especially painful for grieving families.
READ MORE: Ex-Bundesliga star dies after horror crash with deer while cycling