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Parents won't sue Disney over son's death by gator

 
Published July 21, 2016

ORLANDO — The parents of a toddler killed by an alligator at Walt Disney World said Wednesday they do not plan to sue the resort.

Matt and Melissa Graves of Elkhorn, Neb., will focus on a charitable foundation to honor their son Lane and "the future health of our family," they said in a statement Wednesday issued by spokeswoman Sara Brady.

When asked whether Disney had contributed, Brady referred questions to the company. Disney did not say specifically that it had made donations. But "in the wake of this tragic accident we continue to provide ongoing support for the family," Disney World president George Kalogridis said in an emailed statement.

Two-year-old Lane Graves was snatched by an alligator at the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa last month.

"We know that we can never have Lane back, and therefore, we intend to keep his spirit alive through the Lane Thomas Foundation," the Graves family's statement said. "It is our hope that through the foundation we will be able to share with others the unimaginable love Lane etched in our hearts. In addition to the foundation, we will solely be focused on the future health of our family and will not be pursuing a lawsuit against Disney. For now, we continue to ask for privacy as we focus on our family."

Matt Graves said in the statement that "Melissa and I are broken. We will forever struggle to comprehend why this happened to our sweet baby, Lane. As each day passes, the pain gets worse, but we truly appreciate the outpouring of sympathy and warm sentiments we have received from around the world."

Disney has since made many changes including roping off access to waterfront areas. It has also installed signs warning of alligators.

Lane's family first announced the Lane Thomas Foundation last month, saying it would contribute to various charitable causes.