Grieving Kaitlyn Together

Good morning…

“Kaitlyn passed away,” read yesterday’s early morning text from our 26-year-old daughter.

Since Kaitlyn’s car accident on New Year’s Eve, we have all been praying diligently for her healing. She was put into a medically induced coma to relieve the pressure on her brain. It seems that, as the doctors tried to wean her off the medicine and warm up her body incrementally, her organs were not strong enough and her blood pressure dipped low. Kaitlyn went to heaven at the age of 23.

Kaitlyn and her parents are active, beloved members of Atlanta Westside Presbyterian Church where our oldest two kids attend. You may remember that Atlanta Westside is one of the founding churches of PAWkids (P = Paradise Baptist. AW = Atlanta Westside), so many of the people I spend time with downtown each week are also dear friends of Kaitlyn and her family. People I love most deeply are grieving this great loss.

Checking in with friends throughout the day, they shared about the experience of praying and grieving together at church. “It was so meaningful.” “We are a young church made up of young people, and we don’t expect this.” “It was such a hard and beautiful landing spot.” “I love how people gathered naturally and cared for one another in the sorrow.”

As members of Atlanta Westside gathered together at church throughout the day, I spent time in our prayer chapel at Northside Church, lighting candles and lifting prayers for Kaitlyn’s family, her many friends, and our grieving community of faith.