As Mary Ellen Barrett and her family grieve the loss of their 14-year-old son Ryan, who had a seizure and drowned while on a camping trip with his father on Friday, I wanted to encourage my readers to continue to uphold this family in prayer.

To that end, I’d like to link to this beautiful poem that Mary Ellen wrote in tribute to her son last April. It expresses with simple eloquence what it is like to raise a child with autism. Also, here is Ryan’s YouTube tribute.

I’d also like to give you this link from Regina Doman’s website, entitled “20 Things You Can Do for Those Who are Grieving.”  Hers is the voice of sad experience, having endured the accidental death of a young child herself.