Photo: Jill Promoli
Yesterday was Thomas and Jude?s birthday. Thomas is turning four, but Jude isn?t. He died on May 6, 2016, from influenza B. He was a perfectly healthy two-year-old. Yesterday, I got to spoil Thomas when he came home from school ? but I?ll never get to hug Jude again. Let me tell you about him. 
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I lost my five-year-old to an impossible-to-catch illness '
He has a big sister, Isla, who couldn?t possibly have fallen more deeply in love with, or been more proud, of her brothers. She loved teaching them all the important things she knows, and getting into trouble together. He was a very serious baby, but it wasn?t long before he discovered his ridiculous sense of humour. We thought Isla would be the ring leader of the family, but Jude was capital-T Trouble with an impressive ability to rope the other two in. He was the pyjama thief. He was Superman to Thomas?s Batman. His Superman pyjamas were his favourite things to wear any day, and he loved flying around the room, arms out behind him.
Photo: Courtesy of Jill Promoli

He was smart, putting together things we wouldn?t have expected. He loved lions. I made him a lion hat and he roared and giggled every time he wore it. One day, while waiting for Isla?s bus, he found a dandelion a...