Families of Newtown victims celebrate births of new children
Nearly two years after the school shootings in Newtown, Conn., the parents of two of the victims are celebrating the births of new children.
On Monday, Francine and David Wheeler, whose 6-year-old son Benjamin was one of the 20 children killed in the Dec. 14, 2012, massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, announced the birth of Matthew Bennett, who was born late last week. Matthew, at 8 pounds, 8 ounces, is said to be happy and healthy.
The Wheelers, who have another son, Nate, told "CBS This Morning" that the birth of Matthew has brought “light and joy” into their lives.
Dr. Jeremy Richman and Jennifer Hensel, the parents of 6-year-old Sandy Hook victim Avielle Richman, recently celebrated the birth of a daughter, Imogen Joy, the Connecticut Post reported Saturday.
Like other families in the weeks and months following the shootings, the parents of Benjamin and Avielle launched charitable foundations to honor their slain children. The Wheelers founded Ben’s Lighthouse to foster “all children’s potential to build a more compassionate and connected world.” Richman and Hensel created the Avielle Foundation to help prevent violence through brain health research.
But some parents, including Richman and Hensel, say they are still suffering, as the outpouring of support in the wake of the shootings was disorganized and inconsistent.
"We felt like we fell off a cliff without a safety net," Hensel told the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission last week. "We ask that you look at our children."
"Who owns this tragedy? We argue that we do," Richman told the commission, which was appointed by Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy in the wake of the massacre. "It was bought and paid for in the most tragic of ways."
