San Francisco: A Catholic father of seven from Virginia, whose cause for sainthood is now under consideration, will be posthumously honoured with the St. Gianna Molla Award for Pro-Life Heroism, recognizing a life marked by faith, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to the dignity of human life. Tom Vander Woude will receive the award at the West Coast Walk for Life in San Francisco on January 24, 2026.
Vander Woude’s final act of love left a profound impact on the pro-life community. When his 19-year-old son Joseph, who had Down syndrome, accidentally fell into a toxic sewage tank, Tom immediately jumped in after him. Despite the deadly fumes, he managed to push his son to safety, sacrificing his own life in the process. His selfless act has since become a powerful symbol of parental love and the sanctity of life.
Announcing the award, Dolores Meehan, co-chair of the West Coast Walk for Life, said the story deeply moved organizers from the moment they first learned of it. She noted that Tom’s willingness to give his life for his son particularly a child with Down syndrome made the story especially significant in a world where unborn children diagnosed with the condition are frequently aborted.
The St. Gianna Molla Award, named after the Italian doctor and saint who chose to carry her pregnancy to term despite grave personal risk, is presented to individuals who demonstrate extraordinary virtue in defending unborn life and supporting families, often at great personal cost. Organizers say Vander Woude’s life mirrors that legacy in a contemporary context.
Tom’s son Chris Vander Woude, who has been travelling across the United States sharing his father’s story and promoting his cause for sainthood, described his father as a man deeply committed to protecting life in all its stages. “Dad lived these values until his last breath,” he said, recalling how his father’s final moments reflected the same sacrificial love that shaped his daily life. He added that his father’s actions stand as a powerful testimony to the inherent dignity of people with Down syndrome and all vulnerable lives.
Beyond his final heroic act, Tom Vander Woude lived a consistently pro-life life. A farmer and commercial pilot, he balanced demanding work with deep involvement in family, faith, and activism. According to his son, he rarely missed a March for Life in Washington, D.C., often bringing as many family members as possible regardless of harsh winter conditions, driven by his conviction that standing up for unborn children was a moral duty.
Tom and his wife were also active in grassroots pro-life efforts, regularly praying the rosary outside an abortion clinic that has since closed and been transformed into a life-affirming medical centre for women in need. They further supported families by teaching Natural Family Planning (NFP), a fertility awareness method endorsed by the Catholic Church for its respect for human life and openness to God’s will.
Friends who attended NFP classes with the Vander Woudes in the early 1990s recall not only learning about family planning but witnessing a living example of joyful openness to life. Bob and Karen Fioramonti said the couple’s faith and witness inspired them to trust God’s plan for their own family, a journey that eventually led them to raise nine children of their own.
As Chris Vander Woude continues to share his father’s story in parishes across the country, he says people of all ages are deeply moved, often to tears, and encouraged to live with greater generosity and courage. Meehan expressed hope that Tom’s life will especially inspire men to embrace their role as protectors of life within their families and communities.
“Men need heroes,” she said, adding that Vander Woude’s example demonstrates that pro-life heroism is not limited to one dramatic moment, but is rooted in a lifetime of daily sacrifice, faithfulness, and love.