Going, Big

Read this, soon. Chris Goffard: At first, it hurt too much to look at his girls. Isabelle had just turned 3, and Emma was 1. He thought of them growing into teenagers and then women, their memories of their father evaporating in the fog of early childhood. He'd survive as a disembodied name on their mother's lips, a wheelchair-bound stranger in family photos, a fable.

Jeff Rawitz, top-flight criminal defense attorney, partner in one of the world's largest law firms, weighed his options. He could make a video memorial. He'd look into the camera and tell stories and offer advice. But his voice was mostly gone, and he was sure he'd be crying the whole time. He didn't want his daughters to…