‘Their decision allowed our son to be alive’: 2-year-old’s death helps save the life of another child

SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WECT/Gray News) – The Southport Marsh Walk in North Carolina holds a lot of memories for families coming from near and far. But for one family, it is a place they will forget.

That family is now sharing their story of tragedy and redemption.

The Southport Marsh Walk, a boardwalk with scenic views, was the last place the Girouxs went with their daughter before she died.

Norah Giroux drowned in her grandparents’ pool while vacationing in Southport in June 2023.

“She just loved running it. Running down, running back,” her mother, Erin Giroux, said. “I just wanted to get some nice photos of the kids on vacation. And we got some beautiful photos, and she ran all around, and then her accident was a couple of hours after that. So it’s the last place we have pictures of her.”

It was Norah’s father, Daniel Giroux, who was the first to find her in the pool. He said he pulled her out and began CPR.

“Worst possible experience you could imagine,” he said.

As Erin and Daniel Giroux came to grips with the unthinkable, little did they know their daughter’s tragic death would have a profound impact on other children.

Henya Grossman is the mother of one of Nathaniel Grossman, a child who was born with a severe heart defect.

“At the beginning, we found it when I was pregnant, and we started with a few options, but when he was born, it was pretty obvious he would go to transplant,” she said.

Norah’s family decided to make her an organ donor. Her heart would go on to save baby Nathaniel.

“He was in the ICU basically,” Grossman said. “He wasn’t doing much, barely anything. Barely awake.”

Grossman said the Girouxs’ decision to donate their daughter’s heart saved her son’s life.

“Norah’s heart. What they did, their decision, allowed our son to be alive,” Grossman said. “Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t be here.”

The decision was not made lightly by Norah’s parents, as organ donation officials know all too well.

“And I can remember that Erin grabbed my hand and she said to me, ‘Does this get any easier?’ and I said, ‘No, it’ll never get easier. But it will get lighter,” Honor Bridge Representative Jeanne Connolly said.

Officials with the Honor Bridge, an organ donation non-profit in North Carolina, said organ donation is the best way to bring light to a dark situation and ensure your loved one’s legacy lives on.

“One doctor with Norah’s surgery said, ‘What do you want her legacy to be?’ And that was so empowering,” Connolly said. “It doesn’t change them losing a child. But how wonderful it is that they got to listen to Norah’s heartbeat. And another family has their son because of that.”

It was a decision the Girouxs never thought they would have to make. But seeing the real impact is has had makes them more encouraging of others to follow in their footsteps.

“Don’t let your fear stop you from making such an incredible decision,” Erin Giroux said. “Ultimately, your loved one gets to be a hero, and Norah’s our hero.”

Both Norah’s and Nathaniel’s parents stay in close contact to this day, with Norah’s siblings playfully referring to Nathaniel as their brother.

To learn more about organ donation, you can visit the Honor Bridge website.

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