NEED TO KNOW
Ten years after 2-year-old Lane Thomas Graves died in an alligator attack at Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, his parents shared a video tribute
The toddler was attacked while playing in a lagoon near the resort, and his father was unable to rescue him
“Lane had a special light about him and cared for his family deeply,” his parents, Matt and Melissa Graves, said of the late toddler
A decade after 2-year-old Lane Thomas Graves was killed by an alligator at Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, his parents are ensuring the little boy is never forgotten.
“Lane had a special light about him and cared for his family deeply,” his parents, Matt and Melissa Graves, told The Today Show two days before the anniversary of their son’s death on Sunday, June 14. “We simply want to shine a light on our beautiful, blue-eyed boy at this very difficult milestone,” they said.
The Graves family shared a preview of the tribute video with Today. The nine-minute video, which was created in Lane’s honor to mark the 10 years that have passed since his death, will be posted on the website of the Lane Thomas Foundation.
The video highlights the child’s life and the impact of the foundation in the years since, Today reported.
“We promised him at his wake, we would turn this tragedy into good for many families,” Matt said in a video for the foundation, according to the outlet.
The Graves family did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional comment.
On June 14, 2016, Matt, Melissa, their son Lane, and their then-4-year-old daughter Ella, were on vacation from Nebraska when the tragedy took place.
The 2-year-old boy was playing in a lagoon near the resort in Lake Buena Vista when the alligator attacked him. Matt attempted to fight off the animal and suffered injuries to his hand, but was unable to save his son, The Associated Press reported at the time. The next day, Lane’s body was recovered by a dive team, and the alligator was later euthanized.
In the aftermath, the Graves created the foundation to support families in crisis. “We know that we can never have Lane back, and therefore, we intend to keep his spirit alive through the Lane Thomas Foundation,” Melissa and Matt said in a statement in 2016.
“It is our hope that through the foundation we will be able to share with others the unimaginable love Lane etched in our hearts,” they added.
The organization provides financial assistance to families of children who require transplants, as well as raises awareness of the need for organ donation. While the nonprofit partners with Nebraska Medicine and Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha, it is looking to expand its partnerships with other transplant centers throughout the country.
Matt, Ella and Melissa Graves.
Credit: Lane Thomas Foundation/YouTube
“Melissa and Matt Graves know what it’s like to go through a very traumatic experience,” the foundation website states. “They want to provide resources, so that you can focus solely on your child and keep your family together.”
The parents want to keep Lane’s memory alive through these good works, and for their two other children. Two years after the toddler’s death, Melissa and Matt welcomed their third child, son Christian Lane Graves.
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“Although we know the pain of losing Lane will never go away, we feel God has blessed our family with this precious miracle of life,” the couple said in a statement shared with PEOPLE in 2018. “We know Ella and Christian have their brother, Lane, watching over them as their guardian angel.”
Read the original article on People