For the first half of his son’s life, Matt Latourette concentrated mostly on the little guy’s survival.
Son Aiden was born Dec. 1, 2003, with a chromosome abnormality and heart defects that required seven surgeries just to keep him alive.
It was only after the medical crisis was behind him — after Aiden turned 3 — that Latourette began the inevitable grieving when a father realizes his firstborn child would never have a normal life. Nor would he and his wife Jennifer.
And there were other fears that followed. Would they be able to afford college for their twins, born three years after Aiden? Would they be able to get their son the care he would need in adulthood? And who would take care of this child if something happened to them?
There were also what he referred to as the more selfish concerns: like the fact Latourette, who played semi-pro baseball, would never see his firstborn on a prep athletic field.
But Latourette is one of those dads who took both an active and proactive role in his child’s life. And the more the Aurora man, a medical company representative, read...
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