Remembering Austin ~ Week 4

Today we once again share with you the writings of Austin‘s Mom, Ilse on his Facebook Page.

Losing a child is not natural; it is the absolute worst thing that can happen to any parent, and the heartache that follows is devastating. No parent is prepared for a child’s death, even if they have anticipated it during their child’s illness.

Parents are intimately involved in the daily lives of their children, and death changes every aspect of family life, leaving an enormous emptiness. In addition to grieving the loss of  their child, parents may find that they also grieve the loss of the hopes and dreams they had for their child, as well as the potential that will never be realised and the experiences they will never share. The pain of these losses will always be a part of  a parent who has lost a child.

Losing a child leaves a hole in a parent’s heart that will never heal; the death of a child is Out of Order – it has violated nature’s way… and can result in a variety of emotions.

I Miss You, My Child

When the stars shine up in the sky I miss you… When the sun rises and sets every day, I miss you… When the rain falls, and everything Looks bright and beautiful, I miss you… Every day, every hour, In everything I do, I miss you!

Today we would like to share a post by Austin‘s Mom, Ilse on his Facebook Page.

It is heartbreaking to lose a child, and the hurt takes an awfully long time to heal. If you know someone who has lost a child, just be there for them… be a listening post, a shoulder, a loving pair of arms. Be patient and be understanding; they are dealing with one of the worst pains any human being has to go through… the loss of a child!

Celebrating the Life of Austin

I sat down at my computer to write an “In Memoriam” for Austin, and I immediately realised that I could not do it!

Although I did not know Austin personally, I, like every other Team LFCT member and many others, have followed his progress narrowly since the day he became a Little Fighter, and the one thing that struck me was the positivity and grace with which Austin handled his cancer.

I was looking back through his FaceBook Page earlier and could not help but smile…

Austin was a charmer; his positivity literally shone out of the page on every photo… A Charming, Gentle, Smiling, Brave Warrior.

Every post on his page by his family is positive, even if the news was not that great, and it is because of this that I ask you all to join us not in mourning his death but in celebrating this gentle young warrior’s life…