Joshua Allen Mayes

(1979 - 1999)

    We lost our wonderful son, Joshua, 19 years, 10 months and 1 day old, on May 1, 1999, to a heroin and crack overdose. He died because his  Aorta tore from his heart. He thought he was just experimenting. He thought he was bigger then it was. He thought he would never get addicted. He thought that he would never lie. He thought that he would never steal. He thought that he would never die. But he did!  He left behind a Mom who will never get over losing her child. Who can remember like yesterday watching her Son take his first breath and 19 years later saw him breathless on a table with a tube sticking out of his mouth. He left behind a Dad who pretends like he is coping well, but cries when no one can see.

    He left behind a Step-Mother and Step-Father who tried to help him and loved him as their own. He left behind one Sister and two Step-Sisters who are in counseling because they miss him so much and can't cope with losing their Brother. He left behind one Sister who chooses to hold it all in because feeling it would be too painful. He left behind two Brothers who loved their Brother very much and will miss having "another" Brother around. He left behind 500 people who attended his funeral. People who wanted him to live. People who cared.  He left behind a Counselor who in 4 years never gave up on him. Fours days before Joshua died he told his Counselor "I always thought "I" was in control, But "it's" got me". He said "I wished I would have never tried it or any other drugs".