Austin Kade Hunsaker was born in Phoenix, Arizona. Austin was a sweet, happy, athletic, loving kid who had the biggest smile and the biggest heart. He was a straight A student until middle school when symptoms of ADHD became so overwhelming to him that he started self-medicating with Marijuana to feel better about how stressed he felt inside. His ability to keep up in school got worse and worse, to where teachers started labeling him delinquent. By his freshman year we finally had a firm diagnosis and he received medication and counseling for his ADHD. By his senior year he had made great strides in staying away from illegal substances. He was a star Athlete at his high school and was a friend to everyone.
After graduation he decided that he didn't want to take ADHD medication any longer. He struggled through his first semester in college, dropping half of his load. He began smoking Marijuana again to cope. By Christmas 2005, he had decided to go back on his ADHD medication and had made an appointment with his doctor. He never made it to that appointment.
On January 14, 2006, Austin had spent a couple of hours with his Dad watching a football game. At 6:00 pm he decided to go to his friend’s apartment. Apparently sometime during the next two hours he had taken Cocaine. According to his friends, this was not usual for him. There was a sawed-off shotgun in plain sight in the apartment and Austin picked up the gun and started messing around with it. Several people who were in the apartment said that Austin was really messed up and they became nervous about the shotgun. According to them, Austin ejected a couple of rounds and then put the gun in his mouth to show them that it was safe. A second later he was gone.
Every person who saw Austin that final day of his life said that he either hugged them or high-fived them. He didn't judge people. He was completely selfless. So many stories from friends and acquaintances tell of his acts of kindness to them.
Losing Austin has devastated our lives. We will never be the same. The pain never goes away. Even though we have great faith that we will be with him again in Heaven, we still carry the most intense sadness with us at all times. We would do anything to have him back. All we can do now is try and help others not to ever experience this awful tragedy.
Austin did not want to die, but his decision to use illegal drugs combined with his ADHD disorder killed him. His message, I know, to everyone is to Say NO to Drugs and Alcohol.
My prayer in sharing Austin's story is that someone will be touched and change the course of their life or help someone else to change theirs.
In Loving Memory of Austin Kade Hunsaker, June 27, 1987 - January 14, 2006.
