A hope for joy in the wake of tragic loss

A pair of quiet tragedies struck our community earlier this month when two 5-year-old boys were claimed by terminal disease.

On Oct. 6, Seth Bellamy, whose struggle with leukemia was chronicled in these pages in a 2012 article, died surrounded by his family. Just 10 days later, Renvek Larson, whose affliction with neuroblastoma was followed by many through his Facebook page, succumbed to his cancer as well.

Trying to understand such heartbreak is futile. There are few words to explain why such horrible things happen to kids like Seth and Renvek, as there’s perhaps nothing more difficult to comprehend than the loss of an innocent young child. It’s simply too much to bear.

Both of these little boys fought similarly courageous battles against their afflictions, facing monstrous odds with smiles and upbeat attitudes as long as their fragile bodies could hold out. Both were fans of superheroes and both had loving families who did everything in their power to try to help their little guys keep smiling for as long as possible.

That these children were unable to overcome cancer should not be looked upon as a failure, however, but as a triumph of the human spirit. That’s because, although their deaths are devastating to many, their lives were an inspiration to far more.

Seth’s fight inspired community members to organize car washes, support online fundraising efforts and follow his status daily on social media. Doctors, nurses and volunteers did everything they could to make him more comfortable and help him in his fight.

So, too was the case with Renvek, who earlier this fall was given a free helicopter ride by a local company, which asked nothing in return. The pilot — who had children of his own — struggled to put the enormity of Renvek’s plight into perspective.

“It’s just heartbreaking,” he said after giving the helicopter-loving boy a ride around the Valley.

Indeed it is.

When we lose such young members of our community, we lose much more than the smiles and enthusiasm of youth; we also lose a piece of the future, we lose hope, we lose possibility. These are things that can never be replaced, and for these losses we grieve along with the families who are suffering so greatly from these tragedies.

It’s our wish that the lives of these two boys will be remembered not for the horror of how they died, but for the remarkable amount of grace and love they brought into our world. We should remember not the tears, but the hope and joy they brought to others who joined their fight.

We should also use their lives as reminders of just how precious our time on Earth is, and how valuable it is to spend time with those we love. If you haven’t already, hug someone you love today for them.

Seth and Renvek were inspirations to us all, and by bringing people together for their cause they helped create a more compassionate and loving community. In living their short time here with bravery and courage, these two tiny superheroes showed us how precious life really is. For that we owe them our thanks.

Rest in peace, boys.