Cincinnati Zoo Gives Huge Honor to Family After Unexpectedly Losing 1-Year-Old

The heartbreaking story of a little boy named Oliver Nicholson went viral after his parents, Alex and Alyssa, decided to honor his life by raising awareness about the rare condition he had.

Born prematurely along with his twin brother, Oli was diagnosed with VACTERL, which stands for vertebral defects, anal atresia, cardiac defects, tracheoesophageal fistula, renal anomalies and limb abnormalities.

For 16 months he brightened his parents’ and family’s lives until he passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 17.

While he’d been in the hospital, Oli had become particularly attached to a sloth stuffed animal, which his parents got him as a present after surgery. The sloth became a symbol for the family, especially since Oli had two fingers just like a two-toed sloth.

📺 Embedded media — coming soon

Shortly after his passing, a family friend alerted Alex and Alyssa to the fact that the Cincinnati Zoo’s two-toed sloth, Lightning, was expecting. A petition was started to convince the zoo to name the new baby after Oliver.

Over 81,000 people signed the petition