The parents of Lane Graves who was dragged to his death by an alligator at Disney World have announced the birth of their son – and revealed his poignant name.
Matt and Melissa Graves said little Lane, who died aged two in 2016, would be watching over his new baby brother as a "guardian angel."
They also revealed that the newborn’s middle name is Lane, in honour of the big brother he never met.
In a statement, the couple from Nebraska, said: “We are happy to announce the birth of our son, Christian Lane Graves.
"Although we know the pain of losing Lane will never go away, we feel God has blessed our family with this precious miracle of life.
"We know Ella and Christian have their brother, Lane, watching over them as their guardian angel."
They added: "The love and support we continue to receive from so many is greatly appreciated, but we ask that our desire for privacy continue to be honored.”
Lane drowned on June 14, 2016, at Disney’s Seven Seas Lagoon in Orlando, Florida, when an alligator pulled him into the water.
The family had been on holiday at the five-star Grand Floridian Resort & Spa when tragedy struck.
His parents were forced to watch in terror as the creature clenched its jaws around their precious son who had been paddling in the shallow water.
In a desperate bid to save his son’s life, Mr Graves tried to wrestle the toddler from the creature, leaving him with cuts on his hands. While Mrs Graves also dived in the water in panic.
But the couple was forced to watch the gator retreat into the lagoon with the little boy in its jaws.
It took 17 hours for a 50-strong search party to find Lane’s body, which was still "intact."
Four alligators were killed by rescuers searching for the toddler but there was no evidence that any of them had attacked Lane.
And Disney later removed 95 alligators from its parks, according to reports.
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Three months ago, on the second anniversary of Lane’s death his family paid tribute and said: "We miss Lane every day and have dedicated our lives to making a positive impact in his name."
Sharing a sweet snap of Lane giggling, they added: "We love you up to heaven and down to the grass. Hug, kiss, ugga mugga. We will fight every day to keep your memory alive and make a positive difference in your name."
Mr and Mrs Graves set up the Lane Thomas Foundation in the wake of his death to help them through their "darkest moments."
The foundation serves as a beacon of hope and to create a strong base of support for families in crisis.
Last year, Disney World unveiled a lighthouse statue – the symbol of the foundation – to honour Lane.
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