Ryan and Kelly Pack were driving home on Christmas Eve just minutes after leaving a family Christmas party with their two sons Finn (3 years) and Colum (18 months) when an SUV jumped the median and hit their car in a head-on collision. Ryan, Kelly and Colum were critically injured.
On Christmas Day, Colum passed away.
Touched by the outpouring of love and concern for the Pack family, we have formed this blog for monitoring their recovery, as well as for friends and loved ones to communicate condolences or other messages to the Packs and their families.
Our family is grateful for the prayers and heartfelt messages they have and will receive.
I was so sad to hear that the little one had passed away. My prayers are with this family!
my heart breaks for this cute family and the loss of their little boy. my thoughts and prayers go out to you at this time
My heart breaks for all of you!! Please know how many people are pulling for your family
Our prayers our with this cute family. It is such an unfortunate tragedy. May our Heavenly Father pour out His spirit at this time to comfort all of your family.
My heart goes out to the family during this tragedy. My prayers for the family in this healing time.
My prayers are with you guys during this hard time. My 2 children were hit by a car 02/08/2011 in Kearns, Utah where my 9 year old wasn’t suppose to live through the night. I remember how I felt and even how I felt does not come close to what you all are going through. Since my childrens accident my life has changed and forever will be as yours will. i wish I could donate money to help with expenses yet I struggle myself being a single mother. I can however offer a shoulder to cry on or someone to listen if need be. /Hugs to the family.
I can’t imagine what your going through… My thoughts and prayers go to your beautiful family. I am so sorry for your loss of your angel.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen ya Kelly, but my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time. I know Heavenly Father is aware of you and your adorable family, and will be there to help along the way, as you and your husband recover. It won’t be easy, but He can and will help carry this tremendous burden. Love and prayers being sent your way.
Ryan,
I was so sorry to hear of the accident your family was involved in. My deepest sympathy for the loss of your son. May you and the rest of your family have a full recovery. I know it won’t be easy to learn to live without your son, but be thankful and cherish the time you did have with him in your lives.
We had a family not too long ago in our community a Father has lost his wife, and 2 young boys in a car accident. Now it is just him and his 7 yr old son. We never know the day when our time will come to meet the lord on the other side. We are sorry to hear of your family’s accident, and my deepest sympathy for the loss of your young son. Your family is in our prayers.. may you recieve some comfort and peace within. Remember the wonderful memories shared together. Heaven has another Angel and he smiles upon you.
Be comforted that your little one is being cradled by Jesus while you are healing. Don’t have broken hearts, but rejoice that he is in Heaven, watching over you & awaiting you & your family someday. I am praying for your family’s quick recovery.
We are so sad to hear of such a tragedy our hearts go out to the family and friends in there time of loss and hurt.
My heart goes out to your family! And I will keep you in my heart and prayers!
My heart just aches for this poor family. What a sweet little guy.. so hard to read. He is now with God.
So sorry to hear of your families loss. Remember your sweet little Colum is with Heavenly Father and Jesus. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. Hope you heal fast!
my heart breaks for this cute family and the loss of their little boy. my thoughts and prayers go out to you at this time
My name is Jill Olson just wwanted to say sorry for your loss! This very same thing happened to our family in June on fathers day in Provo Canyon! for whatever reason a guy was in our lane and hit us head on ggoing 55 mph. My husband almost died we were both life flighted with many injuries and were in the hospital for 2 months! Our baby 7 months old then had no injuries but we lost our 4 year old precious Gage:( Gage was a miracle as he was the only survivor of triplets!! We miss Gage so much! We are so sorry for your loss:(
Jill – I thought of you and your family when I heard about this accident. I learned about your accident through work (Natural Resources). I’m so, so sorry for your loss and all of the heartache and trials you are facing too. HUGS
Truly my heart has been reminded of how precious life is. My families prayers are with you…
hmm, it’s funny how we have never met, yet as a stranger I have instant love for this family.
I cried when I read first read this story. I have a 15month old and can’t imagine what you’re going through right now. My thoughts and prayers are with you and with your loved ones around you that they may know what to do and say to help you during this time.
Thoughts and heartfelt feelings to your family…heartbreaking….
I am so very sorry about the tragedy that has occurred. My thoughts are with you all, and I wish you all a quick recovery.
So sorry my heart aches for tgis family… i pray for God to heal them quickly and be with them in their time of need… i cant imagine the pain their going through over the loss of their baby boy.. Christmas will never be the same… God needed another angel i pray that he give them comfort and peace in knowing that he is with him and did not suffer… i will continue to keep them in my prayers…
My deepest condolences to the Pack family for your loss. My heart goes out to you & yours, and any other set of parents, who has to bury a child. I pray with all my heart that you will find peace and comfort from your painful loss… in your own way, and in your own time. I wish, with all my heart, that things could be different for your family. I pray that your wounds heal quickly, and that you can attempt to get back to some sort of normalcy… though extremely difficult! God bless you all!
We love you praying for you as long as it take’s to get your Family back together we are alway’s here you will never be alone in this you all have Family and friend’s who love you all four very much we wish we could take all the pain away love you .
Dearest Kelly and Ryan, may you feel each and every prayer being offered in behalf of you and your beautiful family. You are on the minds and in the hearts of many who wish for the sweetness and abundance of tender mercies to be showered down upon you; day by day, hour by hour, and minute by minute. “Thank you” will never be an adequate expression of gratitude for the life altering lessons you have so graciously taught. Much Love allie
Dear PackFamily,
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
I am so sad to hear about Ryan and his family. I worked with him at Kilgore for several years . Ryan my heart goes out to you and my thoughts and prayers are for you and Kelly.
Life is so precarious. I feel very sad for your family and all those who loved little Colum and who will miss him so much. I hope you can heal well and try to carry on, with the memories of your little lad, who will be waiting for you and will be with other loved ones gone ahead, so is not alone. We should all try to take more care when driving, and learn from this awful tragedy. My thoughts will be with you.
I’ve been following this story since I saw the first report of the accident. It’s hard not to wish that somehow each of us could share the load the Pack family is having to carry right now. If there were some way I could do that, I’d volunteer. I just came across this video, and thought it might be worth sharing: http://lds.org/pages/we-can-live-with-god-again?lang=eng
Oh, my heart breaks for this family. There is a time for mourning and this is it. G-d is with you and one day, Praise Him!, you will be reunited with your little one. I pray for peace for you all until that time of rejoicing comes.
Pack Family,This is Brandon Pack (I don’t believe there is a relation?).I have several friends that have been asking me if I was involved in the tragic accident on Christmas Eve that involved your beautiful family. I obviously was not directly involved but indirectly most certainly. The story has touched and hit me like it was my own and I am very sorry for your loss of Colum. I have donated to the Rib City Fund and have sent a note to my whole company here at to hopefully help as well. Your family is in my prayers.
Brandon,
I am Ryan’s aunt and I have a son named Brandon Pack. You probably are related. There are lots of us Pack’s out west because John Pack was a polygamist and had 40+ children. If you are a descendant of John Pack, you are a relative!
I heard about this family in the new year as I was out of town for the holidays. I can’t imagine the pain that they are going through. My brother-in-law was killed two months ago by a driver who rear-ended his car while he sat at a stop light. He died on the scene and was young. The police report hasn’t been released yet, but I believe the driver (a women in her early 30′s) was driving under the influence of drugs. This has been very difficult for my family, but to lose an infant because of such a senseless act, well it tugs on the heartstrings. Also, to have to try to cope with the death of a child while being in such critical health would be unbearable to say the least. My thoughts and prayers go out to this family. Also, pray for the 3 year old! He must be in such turmoil as well!
My prayers are with you, stay strong!!!