WAG Wear pink on Friday in the gym - link below

[chalkbowl]

Her home gym posted this update this morning

"Hello to all the Classic family and the gymnastics community,

It is with great sadness that we must share the post below regarding Maddison Mertz posted by her mom Lindsay.

"Our precious girl took her last breath last night. She passed away in our arms surround by family and many friends. Over the past 8 years and particularly the last 6 months she showed us how to be brave while fighting with a smile. She showed us how to live and love life. She has brought us more joy in life. We are truly better people because of her. Thank you Maddison for letting us be your parents. We are beyond blessed.
The pain we now feel is like nothing we have every felt before. But we know she is no longer in pain. We know that she is running free in heaven and will be watching over us. We love her to the moon and back. She will always be with us. At every birthday and every holiday. We know each day will be painful but we want to live our lives fullest. That is how Maddison lived each and everyday."

As someone that has been in the gymnastics community for 40 years I want to thank everyone for the support they have given Maddison and her family the past 6 months. Friday was so overwhelming with the posts of pink, the texts, the messages and more. Maddison has received support from numerous states and even overseas. The gymnastics community is like no other community in how they rally for each other. Please take pride in knowing you made a little girls last few days brighter and brought a smile to her on her birthday. No matter what is going bad in the gym or in the media regarding gymnastics at any given moment, I stand proudly behind this sport and the people involved. You are all awesome and I thank you all on behalf of Maddison.

May peace find Maddison and comfort find her family in this time of loss. No words can replace the loss of a child but hopefully with time and support they can move to remembering the good times and smile about the memories.

Thanks again to all of you.

Bryon Hough
Classic Gymnastics, MN"

 

[GymDad9.9]

I am heartbroken

 

[txgymfan]

So sad, thanks for sharing.

 

[Jard.the.gymnast]

I cried while reading that. Just too sad...

 

[duyetanh]

I am bawling.

 

[Ali'sMom]

I can't even imagine

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

Heartbroken, taken way too soon.

 

[azara]

Oh my goodness, life is too cruel. I hope the pink posts brought her at least a little happiness and that her birthday was as wonderful as it could possibly have been.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I didn't mean to hijack the thread. Thanks for the ideas. I like the idea of being honest but vague.

Your child, you decide on what and how much to say...........

My parents didn't talk about sickness and death much. Really never lost someone I was close to at an age where I could remember (grandfather, but I was really young). Even our dog went off to live on a "farm". So my first encounter with sickness and death was when my mom died. I was 17 (40 yrs ago). To say myself and sibs were unprepared would be a huge understatement......... Fast forward. As older parents with parents who are older, I didn't feel we as a family had the luxury of waiting until she was older to talk about hard stuff.

These things have skewed my perspective, so we read, we talk, I share stories like Maddison's..................

And I am grateful that I did. In second grade, her best friends Mom, passed away from cervical cancer. We went to the wake.

A good place to start is the book Lifetimes................... And start the discussion with folks they don't know.................

Just my 2 cents but you can not talk too soon, age appropriately of course.

 

[Deleted member 18037]