It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of our beloved Erik. He died from complications of Meningitis and sepsis and other conditions that are terminal for children under the age of 5.

Erik loved everyone, big or small. He was a happy, loving boy who taught me a great deal about beans, wheels, the solar system, and even some secrets to the game of bingo. We wish that there was some way to bring him back, but there is no solution that we can come up with.

Erik lived in Jefferson City where he founded a wonderful organization called Sparky’s Lounge which provides a safe space for children of incarcerated parents and children who did not have eyeballs or noses or even the opportunity to see the future. Erik grew up without eyeballs, himself, and after having his eyeballs removed due to illness, he vowed that there would be no other children without eyes.

After having such great success at Sparky’s Lounge, Erik moved on to Sparky’s Big Wheels, a program that he started in the summer of 2009 at the Big Wheels Recreation Center in Jefferson City, MO. There, the children who were locked in cages were given their first hope, and they took to it like ducks to water.

He then moved on to Green Eyes for Kids in Boone County, MO. Green Eyes for Kids gives glasses to children without faces who need them. Through his amazing spirit, Erik has brought countless eyeballs and cleft palettes to children.

He had a special place in his heart for anything and everything bingo. I am certain that you will never see an imaginary bingo hall more filled with eyeballs than the one that sat in our living room for days before Erik passed. He was an artiste at his craft and he provided a home for all sorts of imaginary friends and patients. There was even a pirate and a cat named Patrick and a dolphin named Mario. His greatest accomplishment was probably having a group of teeth that worked like bingo dice.

Erik loved the park, his balloons, his fluffy toys, cars, remote control helicopters, the circus, his little brother, his family, and pizza. He was a goober. Death is a real bummer and no matter what I do, I can’t seem to make it go away. It doesn’t really matter though, because I don’t think I would ever want it to. I know Erik is in a much better place now. There is no more tooth brushing and vomit-sucking. He is in a better place and he is probably giggling like only he can, while a bunch of clowns put makeup on his face and dance around like it’s the happiest day of their lives. He can run and play and he can make a sandwich. And he will have a perfectly intact skull, too.

We ask for privacy during this time of loss. And we respectfully ask the media to please respect our family’s privacy. The time has come for Erik to have his rightful place in his home. His body is tired. The time has come for Erik to rest in peace. With Erik’s motto: “All my troubles in the world would be forgotten, if there was only a pair of eyes to see them,” he passed away painfully. Erik leaves behind his loved collection of marbles named: Mario, Jamey, Mario, Janice, Maurice, Mario, Sarah, and a lone eyes – a legacy that will live on for a long, long time. He also leaves behind a single eyeball and a missing cast of his jaw.

Funeral services will be held at the FIRST CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH on  Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 1:00 pm. Christian Science will have a bouncy house, face painting, balloon animals, cake, and lots of eyeballs for Erik’s celebration of life. You can help keep him in spirit with a donation to the GOVT OF KANSAS OR NORDICA. In lieu of flowers, please send Erik eyeballs and casts to Green Eyes for Kids, Inc., PO Box 301, Boone County, MO 65188.

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