Two-year-old Lane Thomas Graves lost his life in an alligator attack at Disney World's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa a decade ago. His parents are now working to keep his memory alive.
Just two days ahead of the anniversary of his death, his mother and father, Matt and Melissa Graves, shared with The Today Show: "Lane had a special light about him and cared for his family deeply. We simply want to shine a light on our beautiful, blue-eyed boy at this very difficult milestone."
The couple released a nine-minute memorial video with Today, produced in Lane's honour to commemorate the 10 years since his passing. It is available on the Lane Thomas Foundation's website.
"We promised him at his wake, we would turn this tragedy into good for many families," Matt explained in footage for the foundation, according to the outlet.
The Tragic Incident
On 14 June 2016, Matt, Melissa, their son Lane, and their then-four-year-old daughter Ella were holidaying from Nebraska when the devastating incident occurred. Lane was playing in a lagoon adjacent to the resort in Lake Buena Vista when the alligator struck. His father's efforts to fend off the creature proved unsuccessful, and he sustained hand injuries, The Associated Press reported at the time. Lane's body was found by a dive team the following day.
The Lane Thomas Foundation
His parents established the foundation to help families facing crisis in the wake of the tragedy. "We know that we can never have Lane back, and therefore, we intend to keep his spirit alive through the Lane Thomas Foundation," Melissa and Matt said in a statement in 2016. "It is our hope that through the foundation we will be able to share with others the unimaginable love Lane etched in our hearts."
The foundation offers financial support to families of children in need of transplants, while also raising awareness about the importance of organ donation. "Melissa and Matt Graves know what it's like to go through a very traumatic experience," the foundation website states. "They want to provide resources so that you can focus solely on your child and keep your family together."
A New Addition to the Family
Two years after Lane's tragic passing, Melissa and Matt welcomed their third child, son Christian Lane Graves. "Although we know the pain of losing Lane will never go away, we feel God has blessed our family with this precious miracle of life," the couple said in a statement shared with PEOPLE in 2018. "We know Ella and Christian have their brother, Lane, watching over them as their guardian angel."
Following Lane's death, wildlife officials removed 250 alligators from Disney properties in 2021.
