Canton parents start amazing foundation after unimaginable death of son

 Canton parents start amazing foundation after unimaginable death of son

Kim, Ryan and Griffin Brown are pictured during a family vacation in the summer of 2023.

From the moment Griffin James Brown entered this world, he was a ray of sunshine for his parents, Ryan and Kim, and everyone who crossed paths with the relentlessly-smiling little boy.

“Griff was a healthy, happy, perfect baby,” Ryan Brown reflected one day last week inside the Browns’ Canton home. “When I say that, I mean it from the bottom of my heart.

“He slept through the night, he was always smiling and giggling. Within a week or two after Griff started crawling, he started walking. Once he started walking, he wanted to run. Every day Griff woke up, he was ready to go. He never had a bad day.”

The Browns’ life was shattered on the morning of Oct. 12, 2023.

Ryan and Kim Brown hold a painting that commemorates their family vacation to Disney World just two months before the death of their beloved son Griffin James
Ryan and Kim Brown hold a painting that commemorates their family vacation to Disney World just two months before the death of their beloved son Griffin James

“We put Griff to bed Wednesday night (Oct. 11) and the next morning he didn’t wake up,” Kim Brown explained. “He had no health issues. His cause of death is a total mystery.”

Griffin James Brown died just three months shy of his second birthday.

Another layer of tragedy

To compound the unimaginable circumstances of losing their life-loving son, the Browns were dealt another blow when they learned the cost of Griff’s funeral services totaled $14,000 — a staggering cost for two young parents who had recently purchased their first home.

“Kim’s parents were going to help us with the funeral expenses,” Ryan said.

“But as we were planning the funeral (at Plymouth’s Schrader-Howell Funeral Home), the funeral director, Jeff Bell, told us about the Riley Katheryn Foundation, which was founded by a pair of South Lyon parents who lost their infant daughter,” Ryan Brown said. “Jeff — who is an amazing man — told us this foundation would cover the entire cost of Griff’s funeral, which touched us beyond words.”

Paying it forward

In the weeks following Griff’s funeral, the Browns were so moved by the assistance provided by the Riley Kathryn Foundation that they decided to start their own non-profit organization: The Griffin James Foundation, the purpose of which is to provide financial assistance to to families that have experienced the loss of a child.

A photo collage honoring Griffin James Brown
A photo collage honoring Griffin James Brown

“We understand the emotional and financial burdens that follow such a loss and we strive to ease the hardship through our assistance programs,” the foundation’s website — 4Griff.org — explains.

“With a focus on compassion and understanding, we aim to provide a glimmer of hope in the darkest moments. Our commitment to helping those in need is unwavering, and we stand beside our beneficiaries in their journey towards healing.”

Community support abundant

The community support that lovingly engulfed the Browns following Griff’s death has been monumental, Ryan and Kim asserted.

“Somebody organized a meal train for us so we didn’t have to worry about cooking for a couple of weeks,” Ryan said. “So many people reached out to us with heart-felt condolences … it was just amazing.”

Ryan, who is the head coach of the University of Michigan Club Hockey Team, was moved beyond words with his players’ response to the tragedy.

Griffin James Brown is pictured with one of the familys pets
Griffin James Brown is pictured with one of the familys pets

“They attended the viewing and the funeral, wearing their jerseys over dress shirts and ties,” he said. “A few of our friends even approached us and told us how much they respected the way the players reacted to the loss of Griff.”

The Browns are uplifted knowing Griff lived life to the fullest before his all-too-soon passing.

“In August — two months before Griff passed away — some friends of our had extra tickets to Disney World, so they asked us to use them,” Kim recalled. “Griff couldn’t stop smiling the entire trip.”

2024 was eventful

This past year has been highlighted by remarkable milestones for the Browns.

In February of 2024, they learned Kim was pregnant with a daughter, Gia, who was born in October.

What would Griff have thought of his little sister?

“He’d be very curious and a great little helper I’m sure,” Ryan said. “I can see him putting her pacifier back in her mouth if it fell out. He’d be a great big brother.”

In the spring of 2024, the Browns hosted their first fund-raiser for the Griffin James Foundation: a golf outing that raised close to $20,000.

Among the golfers who played in the outing was one of the Canton Township first-responders who was called to the Browns’ home on the morning of Oct. 12, 2023.

‘I still cry every day’

And they assisted their first family that lost a young child not long before Christmas.

“One of our goals is to adopt a family that is going through what we went through every Christmas,” Ryan revealed. “The family we helped has a 3-year-old boy who recently lost his little brother.

“Doing things to give back has really helped our grieving journey. I still cry every day (over Griff’s passing), but doing good things through the foundation helps us get through this.”

If you would like to make a donation to the Griffin James Foundation, click on this link.

Your generosity will go a long way toward comforting parents, like the Browns, who experience the worst possible tragedy.

Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.

Ryan and Kim Brown pose near a memorial to Griffin in front of their Sunflower Village home in Canton
Ryan and Kim Brown pose near a memorial to Griffin in front of their Sunflower Village home in Canton

Ed Wright

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