About Gus - Josh and Gus's Run For A Reason

About Gus

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It feels impossible to describe a life as huge and profound as Gus’s in a short collection of words.

Patrick called Gus “Big Country,” and this nickname fit him to the tee: big smile, big heart, big chubby body, big impact. From the moment he was born, Angus Dwyer MacDonald made an impression upon everyone he met that is hard to sum up—but not half as hard as it is to believe that his life is over.

Gus was a sweet, good-natured little soul from day one. He would wave at everyone, offering up his big, toothless grin and just inviting people to play with him. He laughed and played all day long—that is, when he wasn’t taking one of his famous “power naps!” Every moment was an adventure to him, and he was so happy with himself as he learned to do new things. He would stand up, take a step, stack a block, or sing a song and then applaud himself, grinning ear to ear. One of our proudest thoughts of Gus is that he loved himself as much as we loved him, and in his 18 short months he grew to be such a confident little boy, afraid of nothing and safe in our family, in our home, and in our world. Perhaps that’s part of what made him so magical: it is rare to find someone so completely happy and at ease with himself, and Gus’s power to make others feel the same way (even with his limited vocabulary!) was mesmerizing.

Gus did all the things that little boys do: sand box, swimming lessons, endless block stacking, play dates, tumbling class, backyard, library, basketball, picnics, baths, stories, sweet dreams. In between each of these activities were numerous encounters with grapes, fruit snacks, oatmeal bites, Boca Burgers, animal cookies, cheese and all the other foods that Gus voraciously devoured. But Gus also did lots of things that not everybody gets the opportunity to do: he lived in a happy home, he went to school with Mommy and Daddy all the time, he loved a baby brother born just four months before he died, he chased his dog and kitty all through the house, he saw the world, he met new people literally every day and he became a true force in our community. He never wanted for anything, he saw only love, and heard only kind words. Every day Patrick and I mourn the future he won’t have, but we are also thankful that his little life was so full and rich.

It seems odd to say, after such a deep loss and overwhelming grief, that we are lucky—but we are, and this is a huge part of Gus’s legacy. When Gus died, our family and friends and even complete strangers rallied around us in a show of love and support that continues to this day, and we are so grateful for that. We never took Gus’s life for granted, but because of him we cherish every second we have with his brother, Murphy, in a way that is more vast and intense. The experience of being loved by Gus has shown us the true meaning of our parenting and has helped us to redefine ourselves as mother and father first, and everything else second. Pat and I value our family and our lives with a clarity that can only come from experiencing someone or something like Gus, and we are thankful for this as well. Gus’s absence is definitely felt, but the lack of his little person in our home does not make us think of his life as a negative. We are still moved by his positive spirit and his essence every day.

We are also so lucky to participate in Josh and Gus’s Run for a Reason, and we are fortunate that everyone who visits this site will know about Josh, Gus and their magnificent lives. The smallest person can make the biggest difference, and the difference that the Run for a Reason will make—no matter how big or small—will be inspired by these incredible kids. We can’t think of a more fitting tribute to our little guys, and we thank everyone that is helping make this possible.

Sincerely, The MacDonald’s

Patrick, Lunden, Murphy and our Sweet Angel Gus