Please excuse my posting here on behalf of another TC member.

I have been following the story of Jacob Duckworth through his family's website, set up by his mom Heather. Jacob is one of triplets, just 2 months younger than my own kids, and I know his mom a bit from our TQ2000 email group. Jacob was diagnosed in February 2004 with a rare cancer, at the age of 3 1/2. Since then he has battled through 5 surgeries and multiple chemo therapies.

This week his family received the news that his condition is beyond medical hope, and Jacob is near the end of his journey. My heart is breaking, along with theirs.

If you would like to visit his website at
http://www2.caringbridge.org/fl/jacob/
you can see pictures of Jacob and the family, and read their latest updates (at the bottom of the page.) There is a Guest Book, and the family greatly appreciates messages of support and prayers.

If you know some good resources for loss support, I am sure Heather would appreciate your suggestions for the difficult weeks and months to come. Also any ideas on helping Jacob's brothers through their grief. You can email her via the website above.

Thanks for your consideration. And my deepest sympathies to all moms who have lost a precious baby or child. It's just so wrong, I have no words.

Sheila, Mummy to Katie, Maggie and Robbie, born 3/27/00.

Dear Sheila:

I believe that the loss support is premature at this time, although what Heather has been going through is definitely its own kind of grief. But I just read the most recent posts and the news is good. I wept as I read the website, and I cannot even imagine what Heather and Donnie and their sons have endured, but it looks like things are turning around, and I'm going to pray for a complete healing here on earth.

Thank you for posting this here. Heather and Donnie are always welcome here, should they need support in the future, and they're also always welcome at the site for parents with children who have health problems. I know that everyone here has a very strong heart for this family.

Fondly,
Cat w/3 Kittens
Caidan, Carina and Caeleigh
born at 31 weeks, 1/8/04.

It is better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all. In memory of Carina, who was greatly loved.