From the Dallas Morning News, a series about a Texas couple who found out prenatally that their son had Trisomy 13. With the help of a pediatric hospice nurse and a supportive community, T.K. and Deidrea Laux experienced the birth and short life of their son, Thomas.

They shared their story in hopes of helping other families facing infant loss, as well as to encourage wider support for perinatal and pediatric hospice services.

Part 1: Expecting Thomas

Part 2: ‘Look at him, he’s beautiful’

Video: Choosing Thomas

How we reported this series

Editorial: Better because of Thomas. An excerpt:

The Lauxes lived through what writer Sheldon Vanauken calls “a severe mercy” – a torturous experience that, because of the way they and those who love them responded to it, revealed a deeper truth – and reason to hope. Hope is not optimism; hope is the conviction that come what may, our suffering is not in vain. The Lauxes have shown us all how to suffer in love and through the power of love, and that immeasurable good can come from crisis if we are brave enough to let it.

Said Deidrea: “We are better because Thomas existed.” We all are. The work of love was gloriously displayed in that little boy’s brief life, and the darkness of pain and death did not overcome it.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 18th, 2009 at 12:49 am and is filed under end of life, personal stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.