Help Us Lay Our Sweet Waylon to Rest and Honor His Beautiful Legacy ❤️

There are no words to describe the pain of losing a child.As parents, you never imagine having to plan your baby’s funeral or figure out how to keep living in a world where they are no longer here.

Last night, my life changed forever.Our sweet Waylon jumped off a diving board into a pool.I looked away for two seconds. Two seconds that I know I will replay in my mind for the rest of my life, wishing more than anything that I could go back and change what happened.In a matter of seconds, our world was shattered, and we lost our precious baby boy.

As his mama and daddy, we are trying to process a heartbreak that no parent should ever have to experience.There are no words for the emptiness of knowing we cannot hold our boy, hear him, or watch him grow.We would give anything for one more hug, one more moment, or one more day with our sweet Waylon.

But even in the middle of our unimaginable heartbreak, our boy’s story is not ending without giving something beautiful to this world.

Waylon will be donating his eyes to restore sight to two children, and his heart valves will be donated to help save lives. While we are facing a future without our baby, two children may have the gift of seeing the world through their own eyes, and other families may have more time with the people they love because of him.

There is something so incredibly beautiful about knowing that even as we grieve the loss of our son, a part of him will help other people experience more life, more love, and more moments with their families. We wish more than anything that we could keep every part of him here with us, but we find comfort in knowing that Waylon’s legacy will live on through the lives he helps change.

My dream has always been to create awareness, build understanding, and make real community change for beautiful people like Waylon and others who deserve to be seen, included, supported, and loved exactly as they are. I have always wanted to make this world a better place for people like my sweet boy..

I just never imagined that my own son would become the reason I would have to tell this story. I never imagined that the work I dreamed of doing to help other families would become so deeply personal in a way I could never have prepared for.

Right now, we are facing the financial burden of laying our baby to rest while trying to find the strength to care for our three other children. They still need their mama and daddy, even as we try to figure out how to live with a loss that has changed our family forever.

As his mama, I keep replaying those two seconds, and being surrounded by the memories of that night makes it difficult to imagine how I can begin to heal here.

We never imagined having to ask for help with our child’s funeral or needing support to start over.But right now, we cannot carry all of this alone.

We are asking for help with Waylon’s funeral expenses,and the immediate needs of our family as we navigate the hardest days of our lives.Every donation, no matter the amount, will help us give our son the goodbye he deserves.

If you cannot donate, please share our story.Please keep our family in your prayers. Please remember our Waylon—not only for the tragedy that took him from us, but for the lives he will touch, the children he will help, and the love that will forever be a part of his story.

Our sweet Waylon, you were supposed to have so much more time here with us. We were supposed to watch you grow, celebrate your milestones, and make memories for years to come. I would give anything to have that future with you.

I cannot change what happened, and I cannot bring you home. But we can carry your name, your memory, and your legacy forward. We can keep fighting for a world that sees the beauty and worth of people like you. We can turn our love for you into something that helps other families, even when our own hearts are broken.

Our baby boy will forever be our Waylon. Our love for you does not end here, and neither will your impact on this world my sweet sweet boy.

From two heartbroken parents, thank you for helping us lay our sweet boy to rest, care for his siblings, and find a way to begin again. Thank you for helping us honor a little boy whose life matters more than words could ever express.

Forever loved. Forever our baby. Forever making a difference.

#Waylonstrong