There are many difficult times that we may have in life but one of the most difficult things we could face is losing a child. It is unnatural to lose any relative in death, but a child just seems to be more heart-wrenching than others.
Unfortunately, parents had to deal with this situation when 6-year-old Leland Shoemake passed away unexpectedly. They are still grieving over the issue now, but they are also doing what they can to help others who may be facing something similar.
Leland Shoemake grew up in Wilmington, Georgia with his parents until he was six years old. He seemed to be happy all the time and everybody loved him for who he was.
His mother, Amber, shared the following on Facebook:
“He knew his abc’s, numbers, colors, shapes and 20 sight words by the time he was a year old. He was our little nerd and we loved that about him. He loved school and loved to learn. He loved the history channel, the weather channel, documentaries and anything about history.”
The situation would probably have stayed in the family, but something else happened that brought the attention of the world to this young boy and the family. It started in 2015 when he got ill suddenly and was admitted to the hospital.
The doctors saw that he had a brain infection caused by a certain type of amoeba, Balamuthia mandrillaris. His condition was deteriorating rapidly and nobody knew where he got the bacteria from.
His mother said that he loved playing in the dirt but that she never imagined it would be what would take him away from her.
Medical professionals had a difficult time with the illness, at first thinking that it may have been meningitis. After confirming he was suffering from an amoebic infection in his brain, they did what they could.
His mother said: “He has had bad headaches, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and now his eyes are crossed and he can’t focus on anything without his eyes moving and seeing double.”
Unfortunately, Leland passed away on September 25, 2015. His parents were at the hospital to say their final goodbyes to their son and they were overcome with grief.
One of the things that Leland was known for was leaving notes and drawings for his parents. They found one after he died that said: “‘Stil (sic) with you… Thank you mom and dad… Love.”
There was also a red colored heart that he drew on the picture along with the words, mom, dad, and love.
I don’t think that any of us could ever imagine losing a child in death. To find something like this would provide you with hope and a reminder of just what they meant to you, but it would still be difficult to imagine.
May the family find peace from their difficult grieving.