At the best of times, there is little good to say about death. Trite phrases as “at least it was quick” or “he’s gone to a better place now” fill the awkward silence. When death reaches out to the elderly or the infirm, we can justify it to ourselves as a clock that has simply run out of time.

When a child dies, there are no good words, no small comforts to provide. There is only unbounded sadness and the deepest grief of a family.