The parents of a 2-year-old Nebraska boy killed by an alligator near a Disney World resort last month say they’re still struggling with his loss but do not plan to sue the theme park.
Read the parents' full statement below
Matt and Melissa Graves, the parents of Lane Graves, of Elkhorn, Nebraska, released a statement Wednesday saying their son’s death has left them “broken.”
“We will forever struggle to comprehend why this happened to our sweet baby, Lane,” the statement says. “As each day passes, the pain gets worse, but we truly appreciate the outpouring of sympathy and warm sentiments we have received from around the world.”
The parents also say they plan to create the Lane Thomas Foundation.
Lane was snatched by a gator in June and dragged into the Seven Seas Lagoon next to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. After recovering his body, law enforcement said it appeared the gator drowned the child.
The child’s death caused Disney to temporarily close all beaches at its parks and to fence off the lagoon where the child was attacked.
Read the full statement from the parents below:
“Melissa and I are broken. We will forever struggle to comprehend why this happened to our sweet baby, Lane. As each day passes, the pain gets worse, but we truly appreciate the outpouring of sympathy and warm sentiments we have received from around the world. We know that we can never have Lane back, and therefore, we intend to keep his spirit alive through the Lane Thomas Foundation. It is our hope that through the foundation we will be able to share with others the unimaginable love Lane etched in our hearts. In addition to the foundation, we will solely be focused on the future health of our family and will not be pursuing a lawsuit against Disney. For now, we continue to ask for privacy as we focus on our family.”
