CJ: A Young Committed to Making the Most of Life
Written by Charles and Cindy Hutchinson, October 2010
Like most teenage boys, CJ would have much rather spent his time playing video games and hanging out with the guys on the street. He instead attended classes and meetings at the Board of Child Care. He would admit that the time spent there changed his life.
Diagnosed with ADD at an early age, he attended special education classes at his elementary school. He was constantly acting out and finding himself further behind academically. When CJ moved to a different school district he continued to fail in the system. He struggled to find acceptance and seemed committed to a path of self destruction. Eventually he found himself jailed for his poor choices and was admitted into group care at the West Virginia Campus of the Board of Child Care.
For the first time, he was surrounded with kids in similar situations as his. The staff reached out to guide him, and he found acceptance. He discovered a sense of community that did worlds for his self esteem. CJ learned to take ownership of his choices and new ways to communicate.
There was a new light in his heart. CJ played football, basketball and softball while he was a resident. He continued to struggle with school, but BCC kept him on track. His focus on his education consumed his final year at BCC with him taking on additional classes to achieve the necessary credits to be able to graduate. When offered the opportunity to graduate with his high school class, he wanted to graduate on the campus since BCC had helped him so much. It was one of his proudest moments. He was committed to making the most of his life.
After leaving the Board of Child Care, CJ decided to join the Armed Forces. He found himself unable to obtain a score high enough for his enlistment. Commitment and using those skills he learned while at BCC, he studied until he was able to score high enough to earn the rank of a United States Marine.
It was with profound grief that CJ was called to be with the Lord on November 27, 2009. He was killed in an automobile accident while stationed in Twenty Nine Palms. CA. His organs were donated to several recipients in the California area and all recipients are doing very well and living their lives to the fullest because of CJ’s gift. His untimely death left a great void in our lives.
AS WRITTEN BY CJ IN HIS "all weather memo book" provided by the US Marine Corp
“Live everyday like it’s your last. Show all the people in your life that you wanna be a friend. Show everyone you love that you know what love means and you would do anything for them and just love everyday you're alive and then when you step in front of the King tell him you're sorry for all your mistakes in the world.” Semper FI
