|
“On August 13, 2007 Our Family Was Forever Changed In The Blink Of An Eye.”
I began dating Kent, Brent's father when Brent was just six months old.
Kent and Brent's birth mother were never married. Kent was granted full custody of when Brent was 2 1/2 years old, and Kent and I were married the following year. Though I did not give birth to Brent, he was my son and I his mother. Brent was the oldest of 3; his sister is now 16 and his brother 15. |
On August 13, 2007 our family was forever changed in the blink of an eye. We too received that phone call from the military that every parent prays they will never get. The commander told Kent that Brent had been in accident and we should immediately come to California. Kent contacted me and within 2 hours we were on a plane to California. (We live in Pasadena - a suburb of Houston.)
I just never imagined that this would happen to our family. Brent was in the Navy and had served in Iraq and Africa. He celebrated his 21st birthday last year in Africa, and I must say I was comfortable with him being in California. The week prior to the accident I had spoke with him every day. That Sunday, August 12, Brent reported to duty at 11:00pm to prepare the weapons for a four week training camp. He was in charge of all weapons and ammunition for his battalion; therefore, he would go ahead of the rest of the group and prepare for them to come up at the end of the week.
After working ALL night, the convoy left base at approximately 4am, and Brent was a passenger in the second vehicle in the convoy right behind the trailer with the weapons. They were about two hours into their four hour trip when the driver fell asleep and the truck rolled over. Brent was not wearing his seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. The driver walked away with a few scrapes and cuts, and in my heart I feel that Brent really never even made it to the hospital. He was kept on life support until we arrived.
Because of the giving person he was and the decision that he had made when he enlisted in the service to be an organ donor, he was on life support for a few days and pronounced legally deceased on Wednesday, August 15 at 1:40pm. Through his great loss and love for people there are a few lives that will be much fuller because of his generosity. Brent loved everyone; he saw everyone as equal. Our pastor described him by these words, "Brent had a heart as big as Texas."
Please Click-It-4-Life!!!
I just never imagined that this would happen to our family. Brent was in the Navy and had served in Iraq and Africa. He celebrated his 21st birthday last year in Africa, and I must say I was comfortable with him being in California. The week prior to the accident I had spoke with him every day. That Sunday, August 12, Brent reported to duty at 11:00pm to prepare the weapons for a four week training camp. He was in charge of all weapons and ammunition for his battalion; therefore, he would go ahead of the rest of the group and prepare for them to come up at the end of the week.
After working ALL night, the convoy left base at approximately 4am, and Brent was a passenger in the second vehicle in the convoy right behind the trailer with the weapons. They were about two hours into their four hour trip when the driver fell asleep and the truck rolled over. Brent was not wearing his seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. The driver walked away with a few scrapes and cuts, and in my heart I feel that Brent really never even made it to the hospital. He was kept on life support until we arrived.
Because of the giving person he was and the decision that he had made when he enlisted in the service to be an organ donor, he was on life support for a few days and pronounced legally deceased on Wednesday, August 15 at 1:40pm. Through his great loss and love for people there are a few lives that will be much fuller because of his generosity. Brent loved everyone; he saw everyone as equal. Our pastor described him by these words, "Brent had a heart as big as Texas."
Please Click-It-4-Life!!!
|
Vertical Divider
|
