One of my friends just recently lost her 24 year old son. He had stopped to help at an accident scene, and was struck by another car and died several hours later. She and I had similar experiences in that my son was also hit by a truck - however, my son miraculously survived, but with many limitations, due to traumatic brain injury.
My friend noted that, coupled with the obvious sadness of losing a child, there is a secondary sadness - the one where you realize that all your hopes and dreams for your child are gone too. She struck a soft spot in me when she said this, because I realized that my original dreams for my son are different now, too.
Know that you are not alone, but this is a topic that is difficult for many to put into words.
Jami Opinsky Goldman, associate publisher of Parents Magazine, and her husband Rich Goldman just lost one of their newborn twins in January. The babies were born on January 15th, and their little Jessica died 9 days later. There is a beautiful editor's letter about this in the April 2005 Parents Magazine.
