LIAM'S TRUNK OR TREAT

Liam's story:

Liam Elton was a spunky, feisty little 2 year old boy. He liked playing with trucks and dinosaurs with his older brother, Skyler. His jibberish episodes and wide, beautiful smile made everyone laugh that he met. In October of 2016, Liam was accidentally burnt by boiling water in our home. He was life flighted to the Emmanuel Burn Center in Portland where he was treated for 2nd degree burns covering 60% of his body. Even in this painful time, he had a huge smile and cheered up his mommy, family, and hospital staff. After 6 days, he started getting sick. He had contracted a bacterial infection in his blood. He was transferred to the PICU at Legacy Hospital, but he lost his fight 24 hours later. Liam passed away on life support on Halloween day. We were devastated. So many unanswered questions about "what if" and how this could be. We were not prepared for a life with out him. We wanted to find a way to celebrate his life, for all the wonderful, beautiful things that he was to our family. The following summer, as Halloween was approaching and we were dreading a day that reminded us of the horror that accompanied his death, we came up with an idea to help us cope. We wanted to do a trunk or treat in his honor. We wanted to see the smile of our little Liam on all the faces of other children having a good time in his memory. We wanted to feel like Liam was celebrated in the best way we could. Thus began our event, Liam’s Trunk or Treat: a family event where all children can get some Halloween goodies, check out some decorated cars, and play games, all in a safe location. This event has put so much love in our hearts during a time when we want to curl up and hide in a hole. While the event could never fill the void of this absolutely wonderful boys presence, we are so thankful for the opportunity to share his life with all our participants in hope's that his memory lives on.