Some of you know that I recently lost my 2 year old nephew Sean in a tragic accident over labor day weekend.  (Some of you may have read about it in the news.)  I've tried to write about it here but it just hurts too much to go into any great detail.  So instead I'll keep it fairly brief.

My nephew Sean was a wonderful boy.  Everybody that knew him loved him… he never, to my knowledge, experienced any sort of mean treatment from anybody.  He was a complete innocent.  He loved to roughhouse and explore.  He loved puddles and water.  He had a deep wonder about the world around him.  He managed, without fail, to work his way into the heart of anyone who spent time with him.

Unfortunately, on our annual camping trip to Branch Brook Campground in Campton, New Hampshire, Sean managed to wander away from the campsite while the adults were busy trying to get the campers set up.  When the family realized he was missing, everybody fanned out to find him, his aunts, his cousins, everyone there.

One of Sean's cousins found him floating unconscious in a flood pool and without a thought of his own safety, dove in to rescue my little nephew.  But it was too late.  It was only when Sean made it to Speare Hospital in Plymouth, NH that paramedics and doctors were able to get his heart beating with several injections of epinephrine.

Shortly thereafter he was airlifted to the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH where his mother, father, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all held vigil over him in the pediatric ICU.  Despite all of our hopes, the prayers of many, and the ministrations of several doctors, nothing could save Sean.

He passed away on Monday, and his parents nobly and graciously allowed some of his organs to be donated to other children who were in desperate need.  Because of Sean's gift, three little children will get another chance on life.

There are no words I can use to convery the desperate wrenching sorrow and despair of these past six days.  To those of you with children I can only tell you, as Sean's father said to me when I left, go home and hug your kids.  Hug them and never let them go.

And I did just that when I sat down with my daughter Monday afternoon and explained to her that her cousin Sean had died.  Then we cried together, and I told her how nice it was that she had made a special gift for Sean when she first found out he was hurt (a plastic heart made of colorful beads which we strung around the neck of a teddy bear with gold ribbon.)  I told her how it sat in Sean's hospital bed under his little hand and how I think he must have really appreciated it.

After the worst of the crying, I reminded her of all the times Mom and Dad have said to her 'stay where I can see you.'  I told her that it was exactly because these sorts of things can happen, because kids have accidents and need parents to help them.

There are other sad details to this story, and many touching moments that will stay with me forever, but I am not ready to talk about them, and even if I were, out of respect for his family's privacy, I wouldn't discuss them in this forum.

If anyone would like to, Sean's parents have identified a charity that they would appreciate receiving donations in Sean's memory.  It's called David's House.

On the grounds of the hospital where Sean passed away stands a house called “David's House”.  It was built through money raised by the parents of a boy who died of leukemia back in 1984.  That young boy had expressed to his father a wish that there was a house near the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center where he and all of his friends he met at the hospital could stay with their families, so that they wouldn't have to travel so far, and sick kids could be close to their loved ones.  In his memory the parents raised money for and built David's House on the DHMC grounds.

Any relative of a child staying at the hospital is welcome to stay at David's House, free of charge.  There are many bedrooms, bathrooms, a laundry room, kitchen, common room, screened in porch and other amenities.  David loved animals, and thusly the walls of his house are decorated with pictures of animals, and all the bedrooms are named after animals.  (None of the rooms have numbers.)  Food is provided as are other basic needs, along with games and other forms of entertainment for children.  In the front room is a large array of stuffed animals.  All children who stay at David's House are invited to take one home with them to remember their visit.

Many of us on different nights stayed in the “Dog Room” at David's House.  They were very kind to us there and we were all touched by such selfless giving.  Patty and I made a donation on our last night there.  Speaking of Patty, I was so impressed with how quickly she sprang to her sister's side and how staunchly she stayed there.  Many would be lucky to have a sister like my wife… fortunately for me, I do.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who has helped Sean's parents, or helped Patty and I in this difficult time.  In particular I have to express my deep personal thanks to my wonderful sister Donna, who gladly accepted my daughter into her home at 11:30 PM last Thursday night and looked after her for five days without complaint.  She really is my hero.  Thanks, Sis.