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This grieving father’s inspirational gesture will make you cry

Larry Caroll turns personal tragedy into a way to create joy for another family.
Father small daughter child looking at sunset by water ocean lake Photo, iStock.

An American entertainment journalist has turned personal tragedy into an inspiring and touching opportunity to be unexpectedly generous to others (via Mediabistro.com). After unexpectedly losing his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Savannah, Larry Carroll and his wife decided to channel their grief into an online campaign to raise money in her name. His goal: to raise $10,000 and offer another family a "Stolen Moment", such as a trip to Disneyland or any memorable experience for a child to have with her parents.

Given his loss, the determination is impressive. “In the wake of this tragedy, I'm determined to create joy,” explains Larry Carroll on the “Savannah’s Stolen Moment Campaign” website. “And my dream is to take every penny of those donations, locate a special little girl somewhere in the world — and give her and her family the 'Stolen Moment' that we'll never be able to make with our baby Savannah.”

The only requirements for eligibility are that the family “have a little girl, that they very clearly love her, and that they don't have the financial means to typically do this sort of thing,” says Carroll.

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It gets even more wonderful. Any extra money raised will be put into a college fund for the child selected. At last check, the tally surpassed $20,000.

If you can’t donate, Carroll wants you to do something else in Savannah’s memory.

“Hug your child tight, tell them that you love them. Every. Damn. Day.”

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Flannery Dean is a writer based in Hamilton, Ont. She’s written for The Narwhal, the Globe and Mail and The Guardian

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