On Sep 5th, 2015, an 11-month-old boy died after being absentmindedly left in a hot car in Georgia for nearly three hours by his loving grandparents.
After a few days, Mandie Hendershot posted on facebook that she chooses not to blame her parents for the “horrible mistake” they made, in which they returned from church and absentmindedly left Jaxon in the backseat while tending to other matters. (It wasn’t until Mandie, a nurse working overnight shifts, awoke from a nap and discovered he wasn’t in the house, thats when the grandparents realized he was still in the car.)
However, Mandie decides to forgive her parents and focuses on the positivity for all the love they had for her boy and all the moments they were present for in his life, from a 23-hour-long labor to his first crawl. She called them the “best two grandparents any baby ever had in his short time here.”
It’s hard to imagine losing a child, she posts this message on Facebook – Her full statement is below:
My mother holding her grandson: It is very widespread news at this point that my son died on Saturday, September 5th at 11 months and 8 days old. There have been many news reports, and various stories. I was not there, and he was in the care of his grandparents, my parents. His death was a horrific, tragic event and has devestated many. My son had the best two grandparents any baby ever had in his short time here. These are grandparents that were there through my long, 23 hour labor. These are the grandparents that took him some weekend nights and walked for hours when he had colic and was inconsolable. These are the grandparents that watched him roll over, sit up, crawl and pull himself up for the first time. These people held and loved him when he was sick, feverish or fussy. These are the people that could make him smile and laugh when no one else could. They were there for him every day of his life, and my son loved them unconditionally the same way they did. What happened was terrible, there is no arguement for that. But who of us hasn’t made a mistake, such a horrible mistake that we thought nobody else could forgive it? Who hasn’t had others judge them, and spit on them and spew hatred? Since every one of us has done terrible things and caused immense pain to others, who but God can condemn? I am in more pain than any human has ever experienced, but I chose to let go of hatred and blame. I remember my sweet boy with love and grief, and I will always love him.
Mandie updates her status on facebook on how dearly she misses her boy!
