Wade was a wonderful child - the kind of baby and little boy every mom would dream of raising. He was easy to get along with and seemed to be a happy person, although he was always very shy and quiet. Wade was the oldest of three children - he had a sister 3 years younger and a brother, 5 years younger. Both of the kids thought that Wade was a great big brother and worshiped him. He was always their hero as they grew up.
During his high school years, Wade was a stand-out athlete, excelling especially in football. He won district and county honors in this sport, and he was proud of his accomplishments. Because Wade always wanted to be the best at everything he did, he pushed himself. His threshold was low and because of lack of sleep after participation in several activities, he fell over at a baseball game. Sleep deprivation was blamed on a seizure and I believe that his depression began. It was gradual at first and we did not recognize the symptoms. He gradually turned to drugs as a form of self medication. When one drug stopped working, he would try something else. Suddenly, he had to deal with his depression as well as his addiction.
As a result of our struggles with Wade's problems, I learned a lot of things I thought I would never have any interest in. The healthcare system in our country is totally inadequate when it comes to dealing with dual diagnoses. So many people do not understand that most people who are addicted to drugs suffer from mental issues. Treating both is so different then just dealing and treating addiction. Trying to treat one illness, does absolutely nothing. Over the course of two years, Wade was hospitalized 6 times for suicide attempts. He wanted so much to be well, to live a normal happy life. It just wasn't meant to be for him.
Wade was a happy person with a very shy, quiet personality, and a smile that would melt your heart. He had many friends in the short 22 years that he was here with us and he touched many lives.
For more specific details, you may visit his website here.
At this point, what follows is a message for any young people viewing this website. If you are feeling down and depressed, see your doctor and get medical help, please don't start down the path that Wade took - that path leads no where. Without drugs there is always hope, with drugs, your future is very bleak. Don't let what happened to Wade happen to you. Remember, when you are hurting yourselves, you are hurting the ones who love you more than you can ever know. Please if you are doing drugs - STOP - they will eventually kill you just like they killed my son. All drugs are bad - there isn't a good one out there. Treasure every moment you have with your family. When a parent loses a child, from any cause, all the hopes and dreams that you have for your child are suddenly gone and it's time to plan a funeral. The loss of Wade has affected our whole family in ways we never knew possible. We love him and will miss him forever. This is a loss that one does not "get over". The pain I feel in my heart will never go away. It is my hope that the story I share with you may save someone's life; that Wade will continue to touch others and his life may prevent someone from losing their life as he did.