Andrew's Story

Hello Friends,

Hello Friends,

It is time for me to share Andrew’s story. I know many have wondered what happened. After getting confirmation from the police that they have ruled Andrew’s death an accident, I am ready to share. While I know there are some that will be shocked that I am sharing something so private very publicly however, if Andrew’s story is shared with even one teenager that will then think twice, it is worth it.

Andrew was my 15 yr old son, who had SEVERE ADHD. One of Andrew’s biggest symptoms was severe impulsivity control. He had a dark humor, seemed to always naturally gravitate to “risky” things and simply put, his brain could not comprehend consequences to his actions. However, when he would get in trouble for his impulsivity, he had true remorse and would mentally scold himself for the situation. He truly could not think of consequences from actions.

Unfortunately, on January 3, 2019, his impulsivity, which was a direct symptom of his ADHD, went too far and Andrew died in what can only be called a tragic accident. I do not want any child or parent to suffer this tragic situation, so I would like to share Andrew’s story with you. My hope is that you will share Andrew’s story with your child and talk to them about the danger of putting themselves in reckless situations.
Teenagers think they are invincible and do stupid things and do not understand the consequences.

Andrew was truly the most amazing soul I’ve ever had the privilege to know. He was a kind hearted spirit, who always wanted to make people smile and laugh. He always had a smile, quick wit and an infectious laugh. He was the comedian of our family.

The night he died, January 3, 2019, I went to say goodnight to him at 11:45pm. He was on a video chat with a couple of friends. He told me he was tired and would be going to bed in a few minutes, when he was done. I told him I loved him. His last words to me were “love you, too. Goodnight.” It was the last time I would ever talk to him.

He was fine, laughing and joking with his friends. Apparently, a few minutes after I went to bed, in an attempt to get a laugh, Andrew took his earbuds and pretended to wrap them around his neck. He got a laugh at his little joke. Knowing Andrew as well as I did, I know he now wanted a bigger laugh. Andrew then took his belt that was hanging on his closet rod and put it around his neck. He dropped his phone by accident and reached down to pick it up. The belt was buckled around his neck and was attached to the closet rod. The police have said that with the motion of attempting to bend down to pick up his phone, the belt tightened around his neck and he passed out within a couple of seconds. Gravity took care of the rest.

His friends could only see his hand hanging down. After a few minutes of screaming his name, one of Andrew’s brave friends called the police. Police came and woke me up (it was 12:30am). I assured them he was in bed and went into his room to get him. I was the one to find him. I screamed for help and the police officers ran upstairs. Police and paramedics tried to bring him back but it was too late and he was pronounced an hour later at the hospital.

What started out as goofing around turned into a tragic accident and Andrew’s life was lost.

Andrew leaves behind 2 devastated parents, an older sister and a younger brother. We are a normal, close knit family who never thought something like this could happen to us. We are keeping our family strong and together.

Please share Andrew’s story with your teenagers. Reinforce that putting yourself in danger, even as a joke, can lead to consequences that no one could imagine.

For more information on Andrew and his life, please visit his memorial page, Andrew’s Angels  https://www.facebook.com/andrewsangels813

I will never be able to express the depth of my gratitude to all of you for your support, love and kindness to my family since this tragedy. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!