Facebooking Priest’s Dad Died Rescuing His Down Syndrome Brother

Rev. Thomas Vander Woude, a 47-year-old priest at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gainesville, Virginia whose urgent Facebook plea about a Down Syndrome baby girl about to be aborted was met with over 900 adoption offers from around the world, has six brothers.
The youngest, Joseph, was born with Down Syndrome.

On Sept. 8, 2008, Vander Woude’s father, also named Thomas, died rescuing Joseph from a septic tank on the family’s farm in Nokesville, Va.