A Belfast toddler with down syndrome died unexpectedly on August 7. The family says they would remember him as “a happy, loving wee boy.”
5-year-old, Lucius Corry, was born with two holes in his heart, but he was healthy and thriving and had also begun his schooling. His father said he lavished affection on everyone he met.
The child became unwell on Saturday while visiting Funtasia Theme Park in Drogheda, Co Louth. He remained unsettled upon his return home, reports Irish News. Later, when he had a nasal bleed and became “limp,” his parents, Joanne and John, took him to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children at 4 a.m. on Sunday.
Lucius was brought to an emergency unit, where medics tried to resuscitate him for 40 minutes before he died just after 5 a.m.
When Joanne and John were given the heartbreaking news at 5 a.m. Joanne sang a song to her child while both the parents spent some alone time with their son.
The pair told Lucius how much they loved him and how they “didn’t want him to go.”
Joanne said that she and her husband John had tried to have children for ten years before giving up and were surprised to learn they were pregnant with Lucius around the week of their 40th birthdays. “He just made us the happiest people ever when he came into this world,” Joanne said.
She said that she will remember Lucius for “the happiness he brought into our lives.” Expressing how this tragic event have left both parents “absolutely devastated,” Joanne said that their lives had fallen apart as it “just revolved around Lucius.” She added, “I don’t know how we will ever cope without him.
“He was the most loveable child,” she said. “He loved meeting people. He was very affectionate. He said to everybody ‘I love you’.”
Joanne expressed gratitude that the Belfast personnel could not have done more for their family. While physicians and nurses worked on Lucius, they also kept checking in to make sure that Joanne and John were okay.
“When he came out to tell us that it was time to let him go, you could see the devastation in his eyes,” she added.
“The staff was amazing, they were standing crying, breaking their heats when we had to let him go. I don’t know how they do it. They let us come in to see him. We held his hand and wrapped him up in his wee blanket. They left us with him so that we could talk to him, and tell him how much we loved him. We hugged him and kissed him. The staff didn’t stop anybody coming in.”
To help support Lucius’ family, the local community has set up a GoFundMe page. “Rip wee man look over your family ♥️♥️,” the page reads.
Joanne also thanked the local support group ‘Families Ups and Downs’, reports Belfast Live.
Friends and family of the Corry family have been pouring in their condolences on Facebook, with many expressing the joy Lucius was in their lives.