A Tragic Turn of Events...

After Gavin died, I was contacted by a blog reader named Christine.  She had written a letter to the owner of Gillian's Wonderland Pier in Ocean City, New Jersey, after seeing a photo of Gavin riding one of their fire trucks on my blog.  SHE is the woman behind Gavin's fire truck on the boardwalk!  I wrote about the day we met her - and saw the fire truck for the first time - in THIS post.  It was a very emotional weekend.  We were in Ocean City to scatter some of Gavin's ashes into the Ocean off of a pier where we vacation every year... and then we were going to meet Christine (and her adorable daughter, Skylar) by the fire truck.  Meeting Christine was wonderful.  How do you thank someone, really, for doing something so incredibly selfless?  It seemed impossible.  We continue to be so grateful to Christine and Gillian's.  Every single time someone sends me a photo of their child on that truck... or every single time I see the photo of Gavin on that truck... or every single time we are there watching Brian on his brother's truck... I think of her and her lovely family.

This morning I woke up to an email from Christine that has rocked my world.  She wrote to tell me that, in a tragic turn of events, she found herself laying in a hospital bed next to her own son, Bode, who had died.  This all happened just last night.  Christine is in the Army and, unfortunately, was working three hours from her home in New Jersey when she got the call.  Bode had fallen into the family pool and drowned.  Imagine having to drive three hours to the hospital to find your child already gone.  Bode was four years old and leaves behind two sisters and a brother.

Since this morning, I have felt crippled with anxiety.  All through Brian's swim lesson... and all afternoon.  I am feeling so helpless.  I have been through this before myself so I can relate to what she's going through right now.  And I have only met Christine one time - on the boardwalk - to thank her. Yet I feel compelled to do something - anything - to help make this easier for her.  Yet I am frozen.  I suppose this is because I know all too well that there is no "magic thing" that anyone can do to make it better... or easier... or right.

* Update:  I decided to set up a fundraising page through "You Caring" - and to put the word out to anyone in Ocean City who would be willing to cater a luncheon.  In less than 12 hours, I had over $12,000 raised for Bode's family - and what seemed like every restaurant and caterer in Ocean City willing to provide food.  Once again, my Chasing Rainbows community came through - big time. *

 I want this woman.. this soldier who defends our country... this fellow mother who gave us a lasting legacy for our own son... to feel a hundred thousand arms wrapped around her right now.    

Losing a child is something that no parent should ever have to experience.  Imagine the worst possible pain - the worst thing that could happen to you - and then times it by a thousand.  My heart is broken for this family.  As we stood on the boardwalk laughing and smiling - our eyes filling up with tears thinking of Gavin on one of his many happy days in Ocean City... we could never have predicted that Christine would be walking in our footsteps only a year later.  Such a tragic turn of events.

God Bless you, Bode.  And God comfort your family who will miss you so much.  I hope they see your spirit in the ocean waves... feel your spirit in the ocean breeze... and find peace in the sand where your toes once danced.

(Bode's story posted with Christine's permission)