A Father's Sacrifice

By Joan Steele

In the fall of 2008, my brother-in-law, Tom Vander Woude, prepared to winterize his family's above-ground pool with his 20 year old son Joseph, who has Down's Syndrome. Suddenly, he noticed something very wrong - Joseph was missing! Desperately searching around, he saw that the metal top of the septic tank in the yard had collapsed. Joseph had fallen in and and was struggling in the awful 7 foot deep sewage at the bottom.

Panicking, Tom screamed to a workman working on the house to tell his wife Mary Ellen to call 911. He knew that unless he acted quickly, his son would either succumb to the toxic gases in the tank or would drown in the muck. Then he did what every father hopes they can do in that situation, he jumped in.

Tom tried to lift Joseph out of the tank with the help of a workman who was pulling from above the tank. The methane and other deadly gases were strong and there was almost no fresh air to breath below the opening. Tom yelled to the workman “You pull and I’ll push”. With his last words he submerged under Joseph to lift him.

When Tom’s wife Mary Ellen arrived after calling 911, she helped the workman hold Joseph up with a strap under his arms, knowing that her husband, the love of her life, her partner in God’s plan lay below giving his life to save their son.

When the paramedics arrived, they immediately pulled out and began treating Joseph. They then pulled the lifeless body of Tom out but despite their attempts, God had already called Tom to Himself.

Tom was a devout Catholic, a wonderful husband and father. He passed on his strong faith to his 7 sons by his example. He had died while freely and lovingly giving up his life so that his son could live!

The Diocese of Virginia has opened a cause for Canonization for Tom. In 2014, Pope Francis issued a Motu Proprio that the offer of life is a new cause for Canonization along with other criteria.