On May 13, 2014 we had to say good-bye to our sweet Alex. He had a cold the week before but we thought he was getting much better over Mother's Day weekend and we had a fun time hanging out. On Monday, I watched the Mother's Day Price is Right with him. On Sunday, I stayed home from church with him and we watched Music & the Spoken Word and read scriptures and snuggled. That evening he was very cheerful and gave Todd lots of big smiles before bed, and Monday morning he seemed to be breathing great and he was happy and smiley. But that afternoon he got very sick with lots of coughing, then his heart rate went quite high so we took him to the hospital. He ended up at Primary Children's Hospital where the doctors and nurses took very good care of him but things went from bad to worse and he passed away with Todd and I by his side at about 3:30 on Tuesday morning.
He will be sorely missed. He was a delightful child and a strength and joy to be around. But for the last few years his body has been getting weaker and it's wonderful to know that he is free from the frailties, pain, and constraints of his body and that we will see him again in the next life. We know that we will be a family forever and that our relationship will grow and grow and we will all have a great time.
The nearly 17 years we spent with him were all a miracle, and we are grateful for him and all he taught us.
Following are the obituary, written by Todd, Abby's Life Sketch, and the talk I gave at the funeral.
Obituary:
Alexander Todd Mitton of Lindon, Utah, died Tuesday, May 13
from complications of pneumonia. He was
16 years old.
Alex was born in Boston along with his triplet siblings
Abigail and McKay. He lived the first
four months of his life at Massachusetts General Hospital where he was cared
for by loving nurses and doctors. He
lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts until he moved with his family to Lindon in
2000. He attended Rocky Mountain
Elementary School and Oak Canyon Junior High, and at the time of his passing he
was a junior at Orem High School.
Alex lived a life marked by cheerfulness and courage. As a result of being born three months early,
Alex had cerebral palsy. Throughout his
life he was faced with numerous surgeries, illnesses, and hospitalizations, yet
he was unwaveringly brave through all of them.
He benefited from the excellent care of many at Primary Children’s
Medical Center, which often seemed like his “home away from home”. Despite his many physical challenges, including
not being able to walk or talk, Alex had an infectious smile and laugh, and he
had the ability to spread joy to those around him. He loved life and enjoyed reading, swimming,
skiing, and watching The Price is Right. He enjoyed many kinds of music and had a
special love for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Alex is survived by his parents Allison and Todd Mitton, his
sister Abigail, and his brother McKay; his grandparents Reid and Sanna Lee
Mitton of Salem, Oregon, his grandparents Larry and Anne Prestwich of Longmont,
Colorado; and many uncles, aunts, and cousins.
Those who were privileged to get to know him could not help but love
him, and he will be dearly missed.
 |
| Todd, McKay & Alex at Temple Square |
Life Sketch of
Alexander Todd Mitton
by Abby Mitton
My brother Alex was a fighter from
day one. On June 7th, 1997,
Alex, McKay and I were born at the Massachusetts General Hospital. As a result of being born 3 months early,
Alex and McKay have had many physical challenges, mostly cerebral palsy. Alex especially went through a lot, and spent
the first four months of his life at the hospital.
When we were 3 years old, we moved
here to Lindon. We started going to school
and Alex loved learning new things and interacting with the people around
him. He was so smart.
We had so much fun growing up
together as triplets and sharing so many special experiences, like
birthdays. We spent a lot of time going
on walks at the park, playing in the sprinklers in our yard and playing games
together.
Once, when we were about 10 years
old, we were playing a card game for family night where everyone is dealt a few
cards with different things or activities on them. One person is “it” and then everyone else in
the group has to pick one card that they think the person who is “it” would like
the most. We were able to play this game
by helping the boys point to or look at the card they wanted to pick. So when McKay was “it”, we were reading off
the cards we had picked for him so that he could choose his favorite. One of the cards said “nail polish” and we
figured out that that was the card Alex had picked for McKay. Alex thought it was so funny. He always had a really good sense of humor.
We loved going to Disneyland as a
family, and Alex’s favorite part was The Tiki Room. Much to my annoyance, we would often sit
through the little show at The Tiki Room two or three times in a row. I guess he liked it because it was so
colorful and happy. Looking back, it
seems to fit his personality. Alex also
loved visiting Nauvoo, Moab, Salt Lake City, and Oregon, especially the Tillamook
Cheese Factory and the coast.
Since we lived in Boston, Alex
loved the Boston Red Sox and anything to do with baseball. He also loved watching Blue’s Clues, Music
& the Spoken Word, Psych, Sesame Street, especially Cookie Monster, and The
Price is Right. Alex used The Price is
Right to his advantage quite a lot. When
we were little, he wouldn’t eat unless The Price is Right was on, even on
Thanksgiving. Just a month or two ago,
our friends Chad and Curtis took the boys to the dentist, and they told us Alex
wouldn’t open his mouth to get his teeth cleaned until they told him he could
watch as much Price is Right as he wanted when they got home.
Even though Alex was pretty tricky
and mischievous, (we called him “Havoc Boy”) he really had a love for the
gospel. He was one of those people who
you could just see his testimony of the gospel in his eyes. He loved going to church, the temple, and
seminary. And he loved anything to do
with prophets. He was always close to
the spirit.
When Alex was a little older, about
12-13, he started having more and more health problems. He had to get a feeding tube instead of
eating by mouth, and more recently he needed oxygen to help him breath better. Even through all of these challenges, Alex
was still one of the happiest, most optimistic people I have ever had the
privilege of knowing. We were able to
visit Hawaii through the Make-A-Wish program a couple of years ago, and even
though Alex was sick for a lot of that trip, we still have many great memories
and pictures of him grinning from ear to ear on the beautiful beaches in
Hawaii.
Alex touched the lives of many
doctors, nurses, friends, and family members.
It’s safe to say that really anyone who met Alex was impacted by his
cheerful, sweet soul.
I recently read the novel, “Peace
Like a River” by Leif Enger. I often use
words in books when I don’t know how to put together my own words, and so I
would like to share this quote from “Peace Like a River” with you. “Though battered in his appearance, the man
moved with Spirit. He was like one going
to his King, having served to his deepest ability. He was almost running.”
I know that while he was here, Alex
changed lives. He had just the right
body to do the work here that God wanted him to do. He truly served to his deepest ability, and I
am so thankful that we were able to spend time with him and see what an incredible
young man he was. I can hardly wait for
the glorious reunion that we will have in Heaven someday. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Allison's Talk:
Thank you all for coming to
celebrate Alex’s life with our family.
For the past nearly 17 years
I have had the privilege of being Alexander, McKay, and Abby’s mother. It has been so fun to be a triplet mom! They have filled my life with wonder and
joy. The first thing I’d like to do
today is to thank those who have helped me mother them over the years. We have been blessed to have the help and
friendship of several wonderful women who have helped me care for them. They have eased my burden of care, filled our
home with love and laughter, and been sisters to me as they have served our
family. I love them and am so grateful
for them. I am also grateful for the
multitude of wonderful teachers, aides, and health professionals that have
taken care of Alex and McKay. We think
that through them we meet the most wonderful people in the world.
Now, I speak to you today of
the reality of God and the blessing of the Atonement of the Savior. Alex always had a tender heart when it came
to things of the Spirit. Todd and I have
tried to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to our children and I know that Alex
knew it was true. He loved it when we read
scriptures, when we talked or sang about prophets, when we prayed, and when we
went as a family to the temple to perform baptisms and confirmations for the
dead. He loved to “stand” in holy
places! I know that he had a testimony
that the gospel is true; that he knew that he had a Savior who provided him
with comfort to withstand his trials.
Our little family is very
happy. We know we are blessed to have
each other. But over the years we have
all had many sleepless nights of sorrow and pain and many days of worry and
care. I had one such day about 4 -1/2
years ago. It was a few weeks before Christmas and McKay
had been in Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake for several days. I was melancholy. I wanted to be home with everyone else
preparing for Christmas. I was weary of
being at hospitals all the time and of seeing both of my boys suffer. Our family had been through much tribulation
that year, and unbeknownst to me, much more was to come. As McKay slept, the idle thought crossed my
mind: “Does God really love us?” Nearly
immediately a host of memories came to my mind of the tender mercies and
outright miracles our family has experienced.
I knew that God loves us and
even in my annoyance at yet another stay in the hospital, I could not deny that
I have felt his love in specific and palpable ways.
A few minutes later, however,
the still, small but distinct voice of the Holy Ghost spoke to me: “You know
God loves you. The real question is, Do
you love Him?” My quick answer was, “Of
course I do.” But the moment asked for
more from me. I knew that this was where
the “rubber hits the road,” so to speak.
I stopped to really
think. I counted my blessings. I remembered times of holiness and healing in
hospital rooms and at home. I recalled
many specific instances when my soul was anguished but when I received an
abundance of comfort and peace. I
reflected on the joy I have in knowing that I am a daughter of God, that I have
a Savior, and that I know that we will all someday be resurrected and that our
physical bodies will be perfected. I
realized anew that I do, indeed, truly
love God. With all my heart, mind,
and soul I love Him and thank Him for the beauty and grace of my life.
I know that Jesus Christ once
walked on the earth and that while he was here he taught his gospel. I know that gospel has been restored to the
earth. I know that in the garden of
Gethsemane and on the cross my Savior and yours suffered for our sins and also
for our sorrows. I don’t know exactly
how the eternal mechanics of this works, but I know it does. This knowledge has brought power and peace to
my life.
And today, I stand before you
to testify that I still love God and I still know that he lives and that He
loves me.
I have had the privilege of associating with
angels – one of whom was Alex. He loved
me and cared for my soul very tenderly.
I testify that Alex was on God’s errand here on earth. The spirit witnessed to me in a very special
way many years ago that Alex, McKay and Abby came to earth together for a
reason, and that God had given each of them the body they would need to perform
the mission that He had in mind for them.
Through the trials and experiences Alex faced, his soul was purified and
refined. He was always sweet and full of
goodness, but as he grew up and endured many surgeries and illnesses, I saw him
mature in multiple ways.
Although he couldn’t speak,
all who knew him could tell that he had a brilliant mind. I sensed that his understanding of the gospel
grew over time and that he was competent in things of the Spirit. I also sensed that he grew in wisdom and
compassion. I believe that he was being
prepared, through a unique set of circumstances, to serve the Lord in specific
ways in this life and the next. The
Spirit has testified to me that this is true, even as I write this talk.
Several months ago as I was
pondering the eventuality of Alex’s passing on to the next life I had the
thought that when I get to heaven I know I will be a little rough around the
edges and will have things to work on.
But I knew in that moment that Alex was completely ready. I could picture him in my mind – straight and
tall, striding right up to Jesus and, with his cheerful voice, big smile, and
steady manner, simply asking, “What do you do need me to do now?” He has received the priesthood of God in this
life and is ready to exercise it fully in the next. He will be a great leader – he has a terrific
sense of humor and is humble, compassionate, understanding, kind, and wise.
I testify that he is in a
glorious place. I testify that I will always
be his mother. I know that through the
covenants Todd and I made in the temple 20 years ago our family will be
together forever. I love my Heavenly
Father and I am so grateful that he is patient with me. I am grateful for the hope I have of eternal
life through the blessing of the Atonement of my Savior.
Ever since Alex was a young
child he has loved choral music. He
looked forward to Sundays when he would watch episodes of Music and the Spoken
Word featuring the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Lloyd Newell and Mack Wilberg and Shane Warby were his version of rock
stars. We kept some of his favorite
episodes on our DVR for years. I
remember that several years ago Abby made him a certificate for the
accomplishment of watching 10 episodes on a single Sunday. We are so grateful for all those who have
gathered to sing for Alexander today. It
is truly an honor to him.
The choir will sing “Pilgrim
Song.” The words to this song are
inspirational and sum up the truths of the gospel that Alex knew. In closing, I would like to read the words of
the song to you so that as you listen to the beautiful music you will
understand why we chose this song for today.
My
brethren, I have found a land that doth abound
With
fruit as sweet as honey
The
more I eat, I find, the more I am inclined
To
shout and sing hosanna
My
soul doth long to go where I may fully know
The
glory of my Savior
And
as I pass along
I’ll
sing the Christian song
I’m
going to live forever
Perhaps
you think me wild, or simple as a child
I am
a child of glory
I am
born from above, my soul is filled with love
I
love to tell the story
My
soul doth long to go where I may fully know
The
glory of my Savior
And
as I pass along
I’ll
sing the Christian song
I’m
going to live forever
My
soul now sits and sings
And
practices its wings and contemplates the hour
When
the messenger shall say
“Come
quit this house of clay, and with bright angels tower”
My
soul doth long to go where I may fully know
The
glory of my Savior
And
as I pass along
I’ll
sing the Christian song
I’m going
to live forever
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
