My name is Claire George and I am a heart mom. On May 5, 2012, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who my husband and I named Thomas Kenneth George II after my husband’s father. We were so glad that God gave us the special gift of our son. Little did we know how much this gift would forever change us.
Our son was born with blue eyes and blond hair. On the outside, he looked like a perfect child. On the inside, his heart had not formed correctly. His heart condition is called double outlet right ventricle (DORV), pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (VSD), L-transposition of the great arteries, and dextrocardia.
Despite his condition, Thomas’ smile could light up a room, Thomas was the absolute love of our lives. Always a happy, outgoing little boy, he embraced all sports, especially basketball, and he loved to sing and dance.
Thomas’ favorite song was “Jesus Loves Me.” He would sing this song with such enthusiasm that everyone knew he loved Jesus Christ with all of his heart. He loved being at church surrounded by his friends and church family.
In order to confront his disease, Thomas underwent three heart surgeries. After his third heart surgery, he suffered unexpected complications at the hospital. We lost our little boy at only 3 years old. His death left us heartbroken. The day he died was the saddest day of our lives.
As I grieved the loss of my son, I ran to God seeking answers to some deep theological questions. I am a minister by vocation and I returned to graduate school to earn a Master of Theology. I wrote a master thesis titled, Mending A Broken Heart: Biblical, Pastoral, and Theological Perspectives on Child Loss, which will soon be a book.
Following the tragic loss of my only son, I explored the biblical, pastoral, and theological perspectives on child loss to help myself and others who are suffering. This led me to explore studies in grief care at The Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond where I graduated in May 2019 with a Doctor of Ministry degree. Today, I continue to minister in the church Thomas called home.
The impact of this loss has been significant, touching every area of my life and being. It has changed me in more ways than I could ever imagine. It has given me the capacity to empathize and have more compassion for those who suffer.
Mending broken hearts has become my passion. I am thankful that love never dies and memories of our loved ones are always with us. I invite you to celebrate my son’s life by checking out this website. You will find memories, video and photo galleries, blogs, and, soon, a book. Tears are healing and joy can be found again even in the wake of loss. God longs to mend your broken heart. I hope that by meeting my son through my words and hearing our story you will come to experience this truth.
