Every now and then I come across a news story that really gets to me..

[Relic]

It's overwhelmingly sad and tragic of course but at the same time, at risk of sounding incredibly sappy, it's also about a family's devotion and love that knows no boundaries I guess.
Horrible, but at the same time somehow incredibly touching. Life can suck can't it? This is one of those stories..

Couple Jump From Cliff With Son's Body
AOL
posted: 3 HOURS 4 MINUTES AGO
comments: 213
filed under: World News
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(June 2) -- British police are investigating what one resident has called a "terrible tragedy" -- the apparent suicide of a couple whose 5-year-old son died of natural causes.
The bodies of Neil and Kazumi Puttick were spotted Sunday at the base of Beachy Head, a notorious suicide spot in East Sussex, London's Daily Mail reported. The couple had placed the body of their son, Sam, in a rucksack before they jumped, police said, and it was found next to them.

Sam, whose spinal cord was injured when a car hit him at age 1, was paralyzed from the neck down and used a ventilator 24 hours a day, the newspaper said. He had been hospitalized with pneumococcal meningitis, an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, and was discharged Friday so that he could die peacefully at home, a hospital spokesman told the Mail.
Sam died that night. Police said that the Putticks made the 100-mile trip from their home to Beachy Head on Sunday. There were two rucksacks found near Neil and Kazumi's Puttick's bodies. One contained their son, and the other held some of his toys.

Police are investigating whether the Putticks "were so overcome with grief at their son's fairly sudden death that they decided they could not bear to go on without him," a source told the Mail.
The family's neighbors were stunned by the deaths.
"It is a terrible tragedy and I can't believe it has happened," one told the newspaper. "This is too shocking for words."
Another said that Kazumi, 44, and Neil, 34, were devoted to their child. "They were a lovely couple and they did 150 per cent for that boy."

More details in the Daily Mail/Fail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...atal-jump.html

[dave64o]

Wow, no idea how to respond to that one. I know I'd be absolutely devastated if anything were to happen to my son but I don't think I can say that my wife and I killing ourselves would be the best way to honor his life, the time we had with him, and the way our families should have to remember him and his life.

[MakiSupaStar]

I quit.

[TheVoiceless]

I can relate just having a son 2 months ago. Can't say I would do the same thing, but I can understand why they did that. When your taught your whole life that you will meet again in the after life I can see not wanting to wait.

[Relic]

Originally Posted by dave64o

Wow, no idea how to respond to that one. I know I'd be absolutely devastated if anything were to happen to my son but I don't think I can say that my wife and I killing ourselves would be the best way to honor his life, the time we had with him, and the way our families should have to remember him and his life.

+1, I feel the same. I'm thinking though that since they were so devoted to taking care of him, that the thought of him being "gone" was too much. It's as though they simply decided to go with him and keep on looking out for him. It's really sad..

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

I quit.

Puts things into perspective don't it.. I read stuff like this and it makes me realize how trivial some of my worries are- work stress, layoff worries, band worries.... aint nuttin'..

[MatticusMania]

I had a son, briefly, in the summer of 2007. He passed away 20 hours after birth.

Though it hurt me bad, real bad, I can't say that it was in anyones best interest for me to follow.

[machine gewehr]

Its the second time I'm listening to Epitaph tonight and this?I'm about to cry,this is sad beyond words...

I'm going to get me some beers...

[Joe Gress]

I don't have anything to add except what a shame.

[EricF]

Shocking and sad.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

...wow...

There really isn't much that can be said to that.

[Unrepresented]

Originally Posted by TheVoiceless

When your taught your whole life that you will meet again in the after life I can see not wanting to wait.

I agree, that's a dangerous message to spread.

Call me cynical, but I would think that at some level the parents would be relieved to no longer be burdened by a child with extensive, life hindering disabilites.

[warwick.hoy]

[MadMan118]

Great news to end my just fantastic day...