A World of Hurt

By Alicia Dorr in News on Aug 21, 2007 5:50PM

When we heard about the mom who set herself and her two sons ablaze in Naperville, we felt like there was something off about the situation that we just couldn't put our finger on. And although we really wanted to feel good about it when we read today that the father of the two boys is offering to help kids who are sick and in need of help, we actually felt the exact same way.

The dad, Anand Tiwari, is offering his children's stem cells, which he had stored from birth in case they got sick later in life, to other children who need them. We think that it is truly touching that some good might be found from this tragedy, and we think it's excellent that the practice of saving these cells is getting attention.

We just can't get past the tragedy itself. We in no way dismiss the mother's actions, but stories like this always make us look at the families around us a little differently. This woman filed complaints, told friends she feared for her life and alleged that her husband was abusive and "dictatorial," among other things. All families have secrets, but when is it appropriate to cross that line and to try to help? While we think it's great that this man is trying to make something good out of something so awful, we still wonder if he could have done some things differently, something that would have kept those boys here.

Image via graveyards.com.