15 years ago this November my husband and boys and I were driving back to Missouri from Thanksgiving vacation. My youngest son Adam was just 6 months old. It was a Sunday and I remember that it was dusk when my cell phone rang. My nephew Brad Wallin had died at the age of just 11 of osteosarcoma. We had just seen him on Thanksgiving and again the Saturday after. On Thanksgiving we took the only photo I have with my now 15 year old Adam and then 11 year old Brad. On the Saturday after thanksgiving I sat with him for a bit on the couch in his parent’s lower level. He was covered up with his Cubs blanket and not happy about needing to wear his O2 tubing. He was quieter than usual. His parents said “he knew.”
Today, we are driving back to Missouri from Chillicothe, again at dusk. A lot has happened in the past 15 years. But today, most notably Brad was remembered in a 35 minute short movie about his life and the legacy that I am sure he nor anyone else could have ever predicted. The movie is entitled “Safe at Home” and in case you never realized, his head stone in the Chillicothe town cemetery is shaped like a baseball diamond.
I’ve written about it before, my home town. Chillicothe, Illinois has a population of just 6,000. On Wednesday, May 29, the 15th annual Brad Wallin St. Jude Memorial baseball tournament will begin. This year there are 369 teams in Brad’s tournament. THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-NINE TEAMS! This is all hosted by a team of volunteers from a town of just 6,000 people. Last year they raised over 400,000 dollars for St. Jude.
A few hours ago I was standing in the American Legion Hall next to the Chillicothe Town theater waiting to head in to see the movie. Tornado sirens were blaring. Ridiculous weather was on its way. And no body left. Not one single person. Throughout the movie you could hear people’s phones alerting them to incoming dangerous weather. Yet no one left. Unbelievable. This story.
Today is my son Adam’s 15th birthday. It is also Memorial Day. The perfect day to celebrate not only Adam’s birth but a day for him to learn about and celebrate his cousin and the town that keeps his legacy alive. I’m tired. I’m sweaty. My head is pounding from crying during the movie. We have a lengthy drive ahead of us and I had no intention of blogging today. But then, I went to check my e-mail on my phone. Somehow I think maybe Brad wanted me to share my experience with all of you. You see he was # 14. Sign recognized little buddy. This ones for you.
Thank you for sharing your touching and heartfelt thoughts, Missy. Brad was far too young to leave this world and, yet, he lives on in a significant way, bringing a community together each year for the tournament and, ultimately, benefitting the lives of so many others far and wide. It's a miracle by any measure; one that keeps on giving.
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