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Mom builds graveside sandbox so son can play with brother who died five days after birth

Posted at 10:33 AM, Mar 14, 2014
and last updated 2014-03-14 10:38:01-04

A mother’s touching tribute to her baby has gone viral and broken hearts across the nation.

Ashlee Hammac’s son Ryan died just five days after being born. She knew her 3-year-old son Tucker needed his own way to mourn, so she added a sandbox to little Ryan’s grave so Tucker could share his trucks with his little brother.

“The more I thought about it, the more I wanted something my other son Tucker could be incorporated in,” Hammac told People. “He always goes out there with me, and sits out there, and sings lullabies, and talks to him just like he was there. So I wanted it to be special for him too. His favorite thing right now is trucks.”

The touching photo has been shared or liked on Facebook over 220,000 times.

Ryan passed away from a condition that prevented blood flow to his brain. His heart was donated to save the life of another baby.

Read more about Hammac and her family’s loss at People.com.