SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Jocelyn Christensen cradles the ashes of her two-year-old son in the living room of their home on Kam Lake Road, determined to hold on to the memory of a life ended far too early.

Sana'a Michael Christensen-Blondin with his mother Jocelyn Christensen. Sana'a was killed May 17 after being driven over by a truck in Kam Lake. - photo courtesy of Jocelyn Christensen

Sana'a Michael Christensen-Blondin was killed on May 17 when a Ford F-450 drove over him at a welding shop on Melville Drive. It was a favourite hangout for the mechanically-minded boy and his father, Grant Blondin.

Last Saturday, hundreds of people gathered at the Chief Drygeese Centre in Dettah to pay tribute to the boy and his grief-stricken family. The outpouring of support shouldn't be surprising for a family with as much history in Yellowknife as the Christensen-Blondins, with one half tracing their roots

in the area back to the 1940s and the other since time immemorial, but Jocelyn said she was both honoured and shocked by all the attention.

"This community just kind of swoops around you and squeezes you tight," she said.

Julia Christensen, Jocelyn's sister, flew all the way from Denmark last week to be with the family. The support, she said, has been wonderful. But after a week - which included flying to Edmonton for an autopsy and cremation, a large service on Saturday and endless visits - Julia worries what will happen next.

"The fear is always that everything goes quiet, but the grief and the mourning actually gets more pronounced," said Julia.

Jocelyn wants this space and time to be filled creating Sana'a's legacy - something tangible, like a memorial garden, or increasing access for Yellowknifers to cremation or autopsy services so they don't have to fly to Edmonton.

"Nobody knows what to say, but the best thing anybody can say is just to come up and ... tell me something about him," said Jocelyn.

"I'll never get tired of hearing those things even if it makes me cry in the middle of a grocery store. It's comforting to know that it's not just me thinking about these things all the time."

Since her son's death, Jocelyn has avoided privacy, trying to share memories of her son. Although she says she hates to use the word "need," Jocelyn admits she'll need people to tell her what to do next.

"I need somebody to give me all the answers," she said.

"Through Tuesday, Wednesday, through the next 80 years of my life."

In particular, Julia said the family is looking for those in the community with similar experiences of losing a child.

Although Jocelyn still struggles with how her son was taken from her - killed tragically, suddenly - she is determined to make sure he's never forgotten.

His sense of adventure, his initiative, even at such a young age, astounded his parents, who watched as he dove into mud puddles and raced around the house. Always on the go and putting his energy to work - chopping wood with a plastic axe, helping repair a truck - Jocelyn says he was destined for greatness.

This spring he'd been given his first bike, set with training wheels. He had graduated out of a smaller sized life jacket and was finally able to go down the backyard slide by himself.

"He would have had one heck of a summer," said Jocelyn.

Even though her nephew only lived two years, three months and 19 days, Julia said she hopes that time will be remembered and inspire others to live with the same zest Sana'a did.

For Jocelyn, the coming days and nights will be an adjustment as she handles life without waking up next to her son.

"I spent 24 hours a day with him. There are many, many daily routines that I will have to start remembering and not living anymore," she said.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.