Stories of Lost Children
My Sunshine - Reginald Donovan King
by Erica King, Inwood, WV, U.S.A.
August 13, 2004 was a happy day. "Donovan" my first child was born. He was born four weeks early but was a healthy 5lbs 7ozs. He only had to stay in the NICU for the weekend. My husband and I were in Colorado and found a home day care. I had no complaints with the care he was receiving until the dreadful day of November 18, 2004. I was still mourning the loss of my grandmother a month earlier. I was at work and received a vist by the Aurora police and a victim's advocate. The victim advocate told me that my Donovan had died at 3 months. I saw her mouth moving but I just knew I did not misheard what was said. There was a fire at the home daycare. The provider was able to get the other four kids out but not Donovan. The fire department found him in the living room still strapped in his car seat. When I dropped Donovan off that morning, he was asleep and I left him in his car seat. It has been almost four years. My husband and I had another son 8 months after Donovan's death. Eric was born at 30 weeks in July 2005. He spent a month in the NICU. He was born weighing 4lbs 8ozs. He is almost three and you would not know he was a preemie. We also had another son, Devin, in October 2007. I am taking it one day at a time. I have my good days and bad. It's hard when I see my kids and wonder how things could have been. It's a little better with Devin but it was harder with Eric as I experienced his first birthdays and other "firsts" that I did not get a chance to experience with Donovan. It is frustrating and painful that while I still have memories of Donovan some things of him that I try to remember are not as clear as they were. While the grieving is not as often, Donovan's death has really caused me to not take life for granted. I now live each day to the fullest because we just don't know how long our time on earth will be.
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