child's death

My wife is a nurse practitioner who cares (coordinates care) for children diagnosed with cancer, leukemia, sickle cell anemia, etc. She and we get too close to the kids and their parents sometimes. Ordinary people (like me) look at her aghast when she tells them what she does, but she is quick to reassure them that the kids are the true heroes. And their parents. Being confronted with the reality and frequency of this is very sobering. But, nobody can console the parent who loses a child like someone living out the same grieving process. Everyone else spews kind, thoughtful, empathetic but empty words. The loss of your child has to be worse than anything. Seek out groups of parents who have marched through this hell. You need to see people who have survived it emotionally in order to go on. Parents who have lived through this know what you are thinking, even before you admit it to yourself. They (and sometimes only they) can help.

I really don't think that emotionally hurtful even scratches the surface in describing the experience.

The worst experience in life. The biggest emotional shock for a person. I think maybe it could be more or lest worst in every circunstance, because it's not the same to lost a child after a large disease, than when it happens without previous notice. I said sometimes that I had lost a child, he was so young, he was only a baby, and his death wasn't an accident or a disease. I have to learn to live without him, I have to learn to live when I can see babies in the street every day, and he isn't with me, I have to learn to live alone. I never will be able to have another child, so it's worse to me, but believe me, this is the worse thing that could happen to someone, and I don't deserve this to anyone. I know it's a topic, but I'd prefer that I was death and know that he continues living, growing up and smiling and laughing every day. It's not a good experience, everyone says that time will make it better. It's easy to say, and I could lie and tell that it's true. But the true is that he ... Read more

This would be the absolute worst. I cannot imagine how horrible it would be to lose a child. What really upsets  me is I know many different people personally this has happened to. Almost all of the deaths were sudden.  a mom and dad lost their son when he died in his sleep, another from suicide, two freak accidents,another sudden illness. They were all a shock and awful.Just knowing people this has happened to personally.is so sad to me.All of these parents lost their children from 29 on down to the teens. I cannot imagine how horrible it must be for them. I do not even want to think of this happening.  UPDATE: Again I say losing a child has to be the absolute worst thing that can happen. My husband's cousin is going through an awful experience her baby granddaugher was killed this past week. she was barely a year old. her daughter's boyfriend beat her when she would not stop crying the head injuries killed this sweet little baby who never had a chance to grow up. my heart goes out to... Read more

Very tragic.  I have seen people who have gone through this.  It is not a pleasant experience. And if you mark this one funny, you'd better get some professional help.

Lost a child to SIDS when she was 3 months old. It was a tough time mostly because by the nature of things we are not prepared to bury our children, we are prepared for our children to bury us. It is so difficult for people to relate to you in that situation that isolation can feel overwhelming.

Can't imagine the pain of this, and hope I never experience it. My grandmother lost three children in infancy. One at three and twins at a couple of weeks. I could still hear the pain when she talked about it seventy years after the event. And bear in mind the child mortality rates in rural areas in 1910. Doesn't matter how common it might be, there is no getting used to it.

There are no words. . .explanation or articulation would be futile. . .

My grandmother and my sister were at home when our father died after having a second heart attack. He was only 38 years old and though his mother lived to be 102, she never got over this hideous experience. And even though my sister was only 4 1/2 at the time, she can still recall it and it deeply affected her. Any loss is bad but, there is something about losing a child that seems instinctively unnatural.

This is one of the worst calamities that can befall a parent. Everyone expects that their children will survive them to carry on, and this loss is always a shocker.

My wife and I lost our grandson five years ago, it was the worst experience of our lives, but it did not compare to the agony that our daughter and her husband suffered. Nothing could be worse and I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

I miscarried my first child at 5 months. I will spare everyone the gruesome details, but I will tell you, it was traumatic enough that immediately after it happened, I completely blocked it out and thought I was still pregnant. I didn't find out I'd actually lost the baby until a few days later at the doctor's office. I remembered what really happened 7 years later, when Madhatter was 6 years old. It was by far the most horrible thing that has ever happened to me. It makes me even more grateful for the one child I have.

Why has this actually been rated lower than a 5? I'm shocked that people would think that they wouldn't be devastated if their child died.

What on Earth could be worse than losing ones child?

I have nightmares about losing my children. It is the worst. Even if a hated a person.......more than I hated anyone else in the world......you just never wish for bad things to happen to children.

its a pain i hope i never have to experience. it terrifies me and i can't imagine that i would ever be strong enough to endure it.

Many parents who have been through this feel that they should not be the ones burying their child, the children are supposed to be the ones burying the parents. I don't know all the different types of pain that can exist. I am fortunate that I haven't experienced too many experiences on this list in my life. But I don't have to in order to know that this should top the list.

I'm not a parent, but I know this would be devastating. I had a brother who died at birth, and my mother she hoped she would be able to hold him in her arms again in the next world. If she mourned an infant who only lived a few hours, just imagine how awful it would be to lose a 10-year-old child.

Whoever rated this a two is messed up. Psychological studies show this is about the worst. Worse than even loosing a spouse. In fact, the rate of marriage failure after the death of a child skyrockets.

My wife is currently pregnant with our first child, and already I feel that it would be emotionally hurtful if our child were to die. As the child continues to grow, I can only imagine that the thought of losing the child would get worse.