Before Their Time
By Dr. Roger E. Foxall 

     There are some things in life that follow a certain pattern: birth, adolescence, marriage, growing old… Sometimes, however, elements interfere that reverse that natural order. Perhaps the most traumatic of these is when a child's death precedes that of their parents.

     Dr. Roger E. Foxall has written a very dramatic, but helpful, book in dealing with this issue. First of all, there are a couple of things that set Dr. Foxall apart as the author of this book. While most such books are written by psychologists or counselors, Dr. Foxall is an M.D. In addition, he has not lost a child of his own; but he did lose a nephew. He shows, very effectively, that the life of a younger person affects many people, not just their parents. He delves into how such a death affects siblings, grandparents, peers, teachers, and many people you don't usually think of as being affected. He also looks at the death of a "child" as anyone who is younger than another person. While he does have a chapter on SIDS, he also describes the death of "children" who have reached adulthood themselves.

     This is a very compassionate, well-written book. I highly recommend it to anyone who has lost a loved one, no matter what their age is.