Evan David Kamida, July 30, 2000 - July 24, 2008

All of us at Literary Mama are so stunned and saddened to learn of the death of columnist Vicki Forman's son, Evan. Most of us never met Evan, but we loved learning about his strength and spirit through Vicki's gorgeous writing. We will never forget the image of him playing music:

Although he cannot talk, Evan can sing at least four songs, on key and straight through to the end. If I begin one of those songs, "Jingle Bells," for instance, he will pick up where I left off, then finish it up for me. His riffs on the harmonica have made him into a favorite among his kindergarten friends at school. And the piano playing is beyond compare. He’ll stand at the keyboard for half an hour at a time; every session includes a clearly recognizable composition of his own making, one that becomes more involved with each passing day. He practices distinct sections of the composition, one at a time, and then goes on to play the piece whole. If a friend overhears him while I am on the phone, the friend will nearly always say, "Wow, that kid knows what he’s doing."

We are so grateful for Vicki's brave writing and glad that through it, we got to know, too briefly, this incredibly special boy.

Readers who would like to express their sympathies to Vicki and her family can do so by leaving a comment.

If you would like to make a donation to a memorial fund, please click here.