Mykel made me a mom on January 4, 1998. He brought so much joy into our lives. He was a big brother to his three siblings. They were very close. Mykel was always the mischievous one. Later in life, he would counsel his younger brother and sister. He told them that he would kick their butts if he found out that they did some of the things that he did! Mykel had a love for music. Wherever Mykel was, there was music. He also loved playing his French horn and being in the school band. He loved to dance and fool around with his friends. He had a dog named Biff. He loved that dog. He would carry Biff around like a baby—and Biff was a big dog. Mykel was a cook and loved to try new recipes. His favorite was fried chicken. He loved Mountain Dew, energy drinks, and spicy Mexican food. He also loved reading fantasy books and playing video games. The most important part of Mykel’s life was his girlfriend of three years. They were talking about marriage and how Mykel wanted to have a lot of kids.

Mykel had a heart of gold and a kind soul. He saw the good in everyone. It didn’t matter who you were, he tried to help everyone. When someone was down, he reached out and made them smile and laugh, even a stranger. He was a friend to all. He was so easy to talk to. Mykel was a goof ball, joker, counselor, friend, confidante, chauffeur, and he was ready to help, no matter what time it was. We were amazed at how many lives he touched and even saved. We didn’t know how many people Mykel impacted until after his death. We just thought he was taking off in the middle of the night to hang out with friends, but he was out saving the world, one life at a time. After he graduated from Emery High School, Mykel worked at the family business and a few other jobs. He was trying to figure out life. Things were looking up.

On July 25, 2017, our lives changed forever. Mykel had driven to work, but it was raining and work was cancelled for the day. As he was driving home, a coal truck driver leaned over to retrieve something and crossed into the lane Mykel was in. Mykel had nowhere to go except for into the truck’s lane. The driver, realizing he was on the wrong side of the road and not seeing Mykel, swerved back into his lane, broadsiding Mykel’s car. He was then T-boned by another vehicle. Mykel was immediately unconscious. He had bleeding on the brain and several broken bones. The pressure on his brain did too much irreversible damage. We kept Mykel on life support for a week. On July 31, 2017, we took our precious boy off of life support.

It only takes a moment of distraction to change the lives of many forever! Mykel lost his life, we lost our son, his siblings lost their big brother and his girlfriend lost her future with the love of her life. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and countless people Mykel touched are heartbroken. There is a piece of our hearts missing forever. We lost a part of our future. We think of him constantly and miss him so very much! Some days it just feels unreal.

When you are behind the wheel, it is your job to pay attention to the road, pedestrians, and other drivers. Don’t be distracted by a phone, food, or other objects that may cause you to take your eyes off of the road. Your life and the lives of others can be changed or taken away in a moment. It’s just not worth it.