This May, my older brother, my best friend, decided to run a marathon in honor of military veterans. Being in the National Guard, he has always sought to honor fallen soldiers, and often participated in events such as these.
On the eleventh out of thirteenth mile, my brother collapsed from heat stroke. There was no explanation, there was no reason. 19 years old and a regular runner, doctors were stumped and could never provide a reason behind this phenomenon. By the time they got him to the hospital, his fever was above 106 degree Fahrenheit.
He spent ten days in the hospital, his healthy fluctuating the entire time. Never once did he wake up.
On the eighth day, we discovered he was brain dead.
On the ninth, we made the decision to donate his organs.
On the tenth day, May 2nd, my brother gave his heart to save another’s life.
I read this poem at my brother’s funeral, “Do not stand at my grave and weep,” by Mary Elizabeth Frye. This quote is the last line of the poem, which really resonated with me and how I felt that my brother would always be with me.
Two weeks to the day after my brother passed away, May 16th, his fiancee, who he had been dating for nearly two years, committed suicide. She was also 19 years old.
I got both these sunflowers to express my undying love for my siblings and how much I will always keep them with me, no matter where I go.
Done by Jake and Rare Breed, Burlington, North Carolina.
