Family, Friends Fly Orange Balloons in Honor of Deceased 8-Year-Old

Family and friends throughout the city have been flying orange balloons outside their homes in honor of the 8-year-old Edina boy who died on Aug. 31 from a congenital heart defect.

George Lagerstrom spent eight months in the intensive care unit after a September 2012 surgery, but recovered enough to spend the summer at home, learning to count to ten in Japanese and enjoying a mini-golf birthday party.

Lagerstrom loved fishing, golfing, playing hockey, building Legos and watching Star Wars, according to his Star Tribune obituary.

Many Edina residents flew orange balloons outside their homes, and a balloon release ceremony was held Sept. 6.

Lagerstrom went to bed the night of Aug. 30 after having dinner with his family. By the next morning he was dead.

"When I got closer, my worst fears came to life as I saw he was still and cold," one of his parents wrote in a note on the Caring Bride website. "He had been gone for awhile.  There was clearly no struggle, no pain, just a calling home in the middle of the night."

A visitation was held on Sept. 5 and a burial service on Sept. 6.

He is survived by his parents, Julie and Ed; siblings, Jack and Elizabeth; and grandparents, Gene, Betty and Jean.