Family starts adoption foundation after 2-year-old drowns

DANVERS, Mass. — Less than two weeks after a Danvers 2-year-old drowned in his family pool, his mom and dad are starting a nonprofit aimed at helping other families with the financial costs of adoption.

Griffin Lamar was adopted by his parents, Nathan and Nicole, and joined a home of two older sisters, when he was an infant. Nathan and Nicole want to support the cause that brought Griffin into their lives - adoption.

Friends of the Lamars tell FOX25 they hope to raise $50,000 to give to a family to help with the costs of adoption.

"You can't even put it into words. You can't imagine something more traumatic," family friend Matt Smith said.

A GoFundMe page started by Smith and the Lamars has raised $30,000 already and now they are expanding to a full non-profit called Griffin's Gift.

"In the wake of what they've been going through, this is a gift that can go on forever to kind of keep his memory alive as well as bring joy to a number of families," Smith said.

Adoption can range from $20,000 to $40,000 through an adoption agency, and at least $14,500 for a private adoption through a lawyer, according to BabyCenter.com. International adoption can range from $25,000 to $50,000 depending on travel and country requirement. It usually takes years from the beginning to end; the Griffin's had to wait two years before getting Griffin.

"The love that they felt when they adopted griffin was equal to their two daughters and in some ways even more special because of how much work and how much went into getting him," Smith said.

The money raised won't bring Griffin back, but Smith says the family hopes it will help another family with the gift of a precious child.

"It's not going to make the pain go away, but it's not going to change what they're going through. But to know that something good came out of this and to be able to pass on to other people something that was so meaningful to people I think over time will become something incredibly rewarding for them," Smith said.

Cox Media Group