Lou Magrone and his wife Francine were faced with an unthinkable loss and a lack of resources after the loss of their baby, Joseph Louis, during the third trimester in early 2017. Determined to help other parents in the same situation, the Magrones decided to turn their grief into action. They created a charity called Walk in Sunshine, aimed at helping parents who have lost a child find support groups, books, blogs, and other necessary resources. 

“Losing a child is a difficult story to share. But Walk in Sunshine allows me to help families during a very difficult time. We are so blessed to be able to try to make such a painful experience—one we know all too well—hopefully slightly easier for other families."

The not-for-profit provides financial assistance to New Jersey families who are grieving the loss of a child, and supplies online resources for families around the world. Lou writes blog posts about maternal health care and other relevant resources. In the future, they hope the organization will grow to provide more specific resources for families affected by loss from suicide, pediatric cancer, and addiction.

“My Ithaca collegiate career helped to create this charity. The college doesn’t just provide education. Its football coaches, professors, and mentors like Father Scott Kubinski help students to develop life skills such as coping, a work ethic, and compassion.”

Lou now lives in Westfield, New Jersey, with Francine and their son, Nicholas, and maintains a strong connection to his IC mentor: Nicholas was baptized by Father Scott.