Jennifer and Kevin Murphy had planned to visit the memorial for their young son Christian at a Bucks County park on what would've been his 4th birthday. But the family was left heartbroken after discovering the memorial had been removed by the township.
The Murphys, who now reside in neighboring Montgomery County, reached out to Northampton Township officials to gain some insight on where the beloved memorial had gone since they hadn't been notified of a change.
The township told the family and NBC10 that said the memorial was removed “because of concerns expressed by some parents about explaining the meaning of the memorial sign to their children playing at the playground."
“I am not sure that I can put into words what a gut punch that is to be told that your child is not wanted or loved or makes other people too sad to see his beautiful smile,” Jennifer said.
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Christian unexpectedly passed away three days after his first birthday in 2019, his parents said. The couple, through their grief, was determined to keep his memory alive.
In 2021, with the help of a friend, they worked with officials in Northampton Township to place the sign honoring their son at his favorite park near his favorite swing.
Jennifer told NBC10's Brian Sheehan, "she knew how important this park was for us and how much Christian loved it. We met there often together and the kids all played on the swings together."
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When the Murphys planned to celebrate their son's life Monday, they learned the township had removed the sign several weeks prior.
The father, Kevin, reached out to the township to find out why they were never informed. "We were given the excuse of 'we didn't know what to say,'" Kevin recalled.
Hundreds in the community knew what they wanted to say, however, and many responded with outrage and support after Jennifer wrote a Facebook post Saturday.
“It just reinforces that whatever complaints were made to the township, there were so many more people that loved it and appreciated it," Jennifer said.
The township has apologized to the Murphy family and offered to reinstall the memorial, but the family declined. Instead, it'll live on at Christian's daycare.
