To Our Son, Austin, on His 13th Birthday
- Mom & Dad / Co-Founders
- Jun 27
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 29
A Letter From Mom and Dad
June 27, 2026
Dear Austin,
Happy 13th Birthday, AJ (Anthony Jr.)!
It's hard to believe we're celebrating your 4th birthday in Heaven. It feels like yesterday we were singing "Happy Birthday" around the kitchen table, and other times it feels like we've lived a lifetime since we last held you in our arms. We even say, it feels like we've lived two separate lives and we are only 40 years-old.
We've caught ourselves wondering a lot lately...
What would a 13-year-old Austin be like?
Would you be taller than Dad by now? Would you still laugh at your Mom's goofy dances and noises? Would you be giving your little brother a hard time, or would the two of you be inseparable? We picture you sitting beside Sullivan at the dinner table, cheering him on at his games, laughing together, and filling our home with the kind of joy only brothers can bring.
Sullivan often talks about missing you and not having a sibling to play with. Those are moments he'll never experience here on earth.
But because of our faith, we know they're simply moments we're waiting for.
Faith and resilience has carried us through every season since you went home.
Over the past few weeks, God has reminded us once again that your story is far from over.
We were out in the community with Sullivan when someone smiled and said, "He looks just like Austin."
We paused for what seemed like an eternity, smiled back and thanked her, assuming she simply knew of our family. As we talked, we learned she had been your school aide during your time at Auburn Early Education Center and the Little HAPIE Tree Program.
That was 8 years ago. Yet she remembered you immediately.
Not because of your diagnosis. Not because of your medical challenges.
Because of you.
She remembered your smile, your spirit, and the joy you brought into the classroom.
As your parents, moments like that mean more than words can describe. Every time someone remembers you or wants to talk about you, it's another reminder that your impact wasn't measured by how long you lived, but by what you taught us and how many hearts you touched. And every time someone says Sullivan looks like you, we can't help but smile through the tears.
Buddy, your little bro is growing up so fast.
We see pieces of you in him every day.
Sometimes it's his smile. Sometimes it's the look on his face.
Sometimes it's simply the joy he brings into a room.
You taught us so much during your nine years here.
When you were born, we never imagined the road ahead. Years of doctor's appointments. Therapies. Hospital stays. Waiting for answers. Finally receiving a diagnosis that less than 50 children around the world shared.
It wasn't the life we planned or dreamed about.
But looking back, we wouldn't trade what God taught us through you.
You taught us patience.
You taught us true unconditional love.
You taught us to celebrate every milestone, no matter how small.
You taught us that strength isn't measured by what someone can do physically but by the courage they show every single day in the face of fear.
Most importantly...
You reminded us what true faith looks like.
There were seasons when joy didn't come easily. There were days filled with uncertainty, pure exhaustion, fear, and questions we couldn't answer.
"Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content... I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:11–13 (NKJV)
Contentment never meant sticking our head in the sand and pretending everything was okay.
It meant trusting God's plan and to do everything we could to put your needs 1st.
There are still days when grief catches us unexpectedly.
A birthday. A song.
All family gatherings.
A memory that makes us wish you were sitting beside us.
"The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit." - Psalm 34:18 (NKJV)
Looking back now, we can also see His purpose unfolding in ways we never could have imagined.
Even before you became our angel in Heaven, we knew your story couldn't end at the end of your earthly life.
That's why we started the Austin 1st Foundation in 2019.
Not because the grief became easier.
Not because we had everything figured out.
But because your life mattered and helping is healing.
One of the biggest dreams for A1F we had from the very beginning was finding ways to directly support children and families living with rare diseases. We knew firsthand that these families already carried burdens most people could never imagine. The last thing they needed was another barrier standing between their child and the care they needed.
That dream has always been easier to talk about than to accomplish.
Over the years, we've been blessed to help a few families, but opportunities to step in at exactly the right moment haven't always come together.
Recently, God gave us one of those moments.
Just days after our 4th annual Aces Fore Austin Charity Golf Tournament this past May, we received a call from Children's Rehabilitation Service (CRS).
The staff shared the story of a medically fragile child here in Alabama who had finally been approved for a life-changing communication device valued at nearly $20,000. Insurance covered most of the cost, but the family was still responsible for almost $4,000.
$4,000 stood between that child and having a voice.
Without hesitation, A1F partnered with another parent-led charity here in Alabama to cover every remaining dollar.
As amazing as that was, God wasn't finished.
The CRS staff member helping coordinate everything turned out to be the very same assistive technology specialist who worked with you (Austin) years ago to help you receive the same communication device.
The same person who helped give you a voice.
Years later...Because of your life...
She was helping another child find theirs through your Charity.
Austin, that's not coincidence.
That's a God thing, as your Nana would say.
Those are the moments that remind us His hand has been on your story from the very beginning. They're reminders that He continues to work through your life in ways we could have never planned ourselves.
Your story continues to change lives. Researchers are pursuing treatments.
Families are finding hope. Children are receiving resources.
Communities are learning about rare diseases.
None of that happens because of us. It's because of you.
You were wonderfully made.
And through your life, we continue to remind the world that every human hasvalue and purpose.
Buddy, your light is still shining.
Every golfer and sponsor who participate in Aces Fore Austin.
Every volunteer who serves.
Every donor who gives to Austin's 1st Christmas.
Every researcher searching for answers.
Every family encouraged.
Every child who finds hope.
Every life touched through the Austin 1st Foundation.
Your light is still shining.
Happy 13th Birthday, Austin.
We love you.
We miss you every single day.
And until the day we see you again, we'll keep telling your story, serving others in your honor, and trusting through faith, just as you taught us to do.
Love always,
Mom & Dad
John 13:7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
Austin 1st Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) Public Charity - See the impact we make and support our mission to be Champions for Rare Disease by raising awareness and research dollars for families in Alabama & beyond.
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