Kim Brown publicly wrote about the death of Haze, the 2-year-old son of Curtis Brown and Kim Brown, about three weeks after he drowned in the family’s swimming pool on July 26. Her post on Instagram put the family’s loss before more than 11,000 likes and more than 1,100 comments by Monday evening.
Kim Brown on Instagram
Kim Brown wrote, "Our bright light and source of pure joy is gone" and said she was writing "from the floor of his room, surrounded by his things." She added, "His clothes. His basketball hoop. His blanket. All the things that were just part of everyday life."
She also wrote that she keeps expecting to hear Haze and see "those soft curls bouncing as he runs." In the same post, she said, "I don’t know how you survive this. I don’t know how I am supposed to wake up every morning and live my worst nightmare" and, "I don’t know how a heart is supposed to hold this much pain."
Curtis Brown and BYU
Curtis Brown, a former BYU running back, said during an Aug. 7 practice in Provo that "Family is all you got, and this includes (your teammates and coaches)." He also said, "I know Haze is smiling down on us right now."
The Browns also have triplets Cruze, Kash and Julie, along with a 12-year-old son, Trey. Kim Brown wrote that Haze was the couple’s fifth child and that she wants "forever" and "all the days back," adding, "I want my baby back. I would give anything in this world for the life we were supposed to have."
Clovis, California
The family lives in Clovis, California, and a GoFundMe set up by Kim Brown’s cousin Chandler Pearson had raised more than 100,000 dollars to cover funeral expenses and other funds needed to help the family recover. Pearson said Haze was a miracle baby who came after much prayer and fasting and through some medical intervention after the couple experienced fertility issues.
For readers following the family’s public response, the immediate story is the grief itself: a child lost in the family pool, a mother writing from his room, and a father telling players that family comes first. The next question left by the post is how Haze drowned on July 26.
