This is a hard story to write, its about a young man named Austin, a member of our family. He was my wife’s grand nephew and thus by marriage mine.
Austin was adored by his grandfather and he adored his grandfather in return. As a child and a young teenager he spent many a day with his grandfather on the farm. He was a larger than life child, literally I mean large. He was a massive young man of pure muscle. Before he entered his teen years he was already larger than most men. He seemed destined to be a mountain of a man, you see he was in his preteen years already over 6 feet tall with the muscle of a stout man.
Austin was cheated of that destiny by foes that many of us know all to well. The first foe to do battle with Austin was Type 1 diabetes, he seemed to be fighting the good fight in the beginning but that was not to continue for soon a second foe was to arrive in the form of rheumatoid arthritis. Suddenly a powerful young teen was in a fight he was unprepared to wage against two powerful enemies.
His mother and father did the best they could for Austin, doctor after doctor and more. They tried but he had lost his will. What strikes me is that as formidable as diabetes and RA are his worst foe was the mental anguish I know this young man must have felt. It must have been pure hell to see himself going from being a strong young man to being just a shadow of what he once was, He gave up trying for he felt he had no reason to live.
Austin passed away this morning August 1, 2017 just a week past his 22nd birthday.
Although there is sadness in our family I am happy for Austin, for today his pain has ended and in my heart I know that in heaven he has been restored to being the powerful man he should have been.
I am sorry to hear of this Gary. Those of us who have both or even one of these things knows that we are in a fight for our mental, emotional and physical health every day. Many have it much worse than I and when I read of outcomes like these, my heart breaks.
Please know that Sheryl and I will keep you and your entire family in our thoughts. I hope your family knows that many of us here and in scientific laboratories around the world are working to stop these things. We will not give up and know we are getting closer. I know today it seems hopeless, but I promise we are making progress and someday this will no longer have to happen. I promise.
My sincere condolences, Gary, for your tragic loss. I got juvenile RA when I was 13 years old, Type One when when I was 63, and other conditions inbetween. I think TuD has been a help to many people with these types of problems, certainly it has helped me.
