Shawn L. Bird

I was watching Oprah the other day, and was so sad to hear of the tragic  experience of Chris and Lori Coble who lost their three young children in a horrific car accident.  Lori, her mom Cindy, and the kids, who were all buckled properly in their car seats, were stopped in a traffic jam around a blind corner.  A semi came around the corner a full-speed, and rammed into the mini-van killing all the children.

Can you imagine the anguish?

Three months of full-on, falling into pieces grief, the Cobles decided to do invitro fertilization to have more children.  I’ve read some commentary around the internet that some people think that was inappropriate.  One person said you wait longer to replace a dog.  All I could think when I read that, was that this person obviously didn’t love his dog enough.  We have always been out within the week, desperately attempting to fill the aching hole in our hearts and house.  If it was like that for our dog, I  can easily imagine how Cobles would be compelled to have more children, as soon as possible.

Having new children was never going take away the pain of losing the first three. It wasn’t going to replace Katie, Kyle, and Emma. , but it would give them something to live for.  Having children to care for was going to bring light, love, and laughter into their home: things that were desperately needed to lift the fog of horror and loss.

So almost a year after the accident that stole Katie, Kyle, and Emma, Lori delivered triplets.  Two girls and a boy: Ashley, Ellie, and Jake. Three sweet, busy children to echo the loss and encourage them to go on.  It’s enough to raise the goose-bumps, isn’t it?

Here is a video of Lori and Chris giving advice on how to comfort your friends who have lost a child.

Here is a video tribute to Kyle, Katie and Emma.

Here is a summary article about the Oprah interview.