Ethan’s Story

The story of our son, Ethan, is one of love, laughter, and inspiration. Born on an October morning, our blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy brought such joy and happiness into our lives and the lives of everyone who knew him. From a young age, he exhibited a truly remarkable curiosity and joy for life. He had an innate ability to make friends wherever he went, and his infectious laughter could brighten the darkest of days. He loved playing outside, building forts, and embarking on imaginative journeys with his little sister and best friend, Bradyn. His creativity knew no bounds, and he often surprised everyone with his innovative ideas and solutions. He loved sports, playing games, cards, and was very competitive. At 3 years old, he could beat anyone in a game of Memory.

In school, he excelled academically; his passion for learning set him apart. He made goals and desired to obtain them. He was drawn to science and mathematics, often spending hours on experiments and problem-solving. Ethan also had a strong moral compass. He chose to be kind to others and always wanted to brighten their days. He had a compassionate heart and was always willing to lend a hand to those in need, and he loved helping friends and family. His empathy and kindness touched the lives of many, leaving a lasting impact wherever he went. Ethan was well-balanced; he excelled at academics, extracurricular activities, and loved being with friends. Ethan was at the top of his 2020 graduating class and had a bright future ahead of him, majoring in biomedical engineering on the pre-med track at the University of Kentucky.

Ethan had already achieved so much, and his future was full of promise. He was eager to make a difference in the world. His dreams were big, and so were his goals.

Although we were an extremely close family, he didn’t share his hardships with us or his friends. Ethan was compassionate and tender-hearted; he didn’t want to let his concerns burden his family and friends. He chose to isolate the weight he was carrying, along with the guilt of what he saw as failures and disappointments. Ethan was a strong individual and carried all these emotions alone. Ethan loved the Lord, his family, and friends more than anything. However, he held onto the guilt, worries, and feelings of disappointing others, causing him to make a permanent decision to temporary problems. Ethan died by suicide on 5/8/2025.

Though his time was short, 23 years, Ethan's impact is forever. His life was a testament to the power of kindness, curiosity, and love. While his physical presence is missed terribly, his spirit lives on in the hearts of those who love him. Through his foundation, we hope to help others know they are never alone. Sometimes, the path that God has for us isn’t what we see for ourselves, and those paths change; not all are ideal at the time, but together we can persevere and make a difference. Social media can distort our images of truth and the reality of other people’s lives, causing us to compare ourselves to their progress and other timelines of life. Mental health seems to have a stigma around it, and people think that there are always specific signs that people show when someone is struggling; however, this was not our case. Ethan was himself the entire time around us, and his personality never changed. He talked about future plans, birthday gifts, and golf tournaments. Ethan had a very close family he could have spoken with, good friends, counselors at school, religious council, but he relied on himself to carry such a heavy burden.

We strive and hope for this foundation to bring attention to the often unseen academic and personal struggles of students, connect families with critical information, and provide compassionate support that promotes emotional well-being, confidence, and student success inside and outside of their studies. We strive to do this with the optimism that Ethan exuded to others.

We want to remind others that

“You are never alone.”