He loved to watch “Toy Story” and wear cowboy boots, just like Woody did in the movie. If it was up to 2-year-old Ashton Alexander Cooksey, he was also going to wear his cow costume with those boots, his father said.
“I can’t even count the number of times we watched it a day,” Carlos Cooksey told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Toy Story was his thing.”
The youngest of six children, Ashton was a spunky, happy toddler who charmed those he met. But on Saturday, the Atlanta boy died after a fun outing with a relative and three of his siblings. Ashton was hit in the parking lot of Six Flags Over Georgia in Cobb County. The relative told investigators she believed all four children were inside the SUV when she pulled out of her parking spot.
It was the type of phone call Carlos Cooksey said he’d always dreaded.
“This was my biggest fear, that I would lose one of my children,” he said.
As he drove to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite, Cooksey already knew the news wasn’t good.
“God puts this sense of knowing over you,” he said. “I already knew, but I wanted confirmation.”
Ashton likely died before he made it to the hospital, his father said. But the Cooksey family has found some peace in that.
“There’s the silver lining, that he just didn’t suffer,” he said.
Cooksey said he and his wife, Jasmine, cried for days over the loss of Ashton. But through the tragedy, Cooksey said he has realized the impact his youngest son had on those he met. Friends he had lost touch with have since reconnected with him to share their condolences.
“In his short two years, he had so much of an impact on a lot of people,” Cooksey said. “He served his purpose and he brought a lot of people together.”
“This was my biggest fear, that I would lose one of my children."
In May, the family will welcome a baby boy, Cooksey said, and Ashton would have been a big brother. The newest addition won’t replace Ashton, but the impending birth offers hope during this difficult time.
“I feel like I’ll be getting a piece of him back,” the father said.
A GoFundMe page has been created to assist the family with funeral costs. The family plans to hold a service for Ashton on Friday. Murray Brothers Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
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