Cory has always been very close to his extended family. His cousins were always present growing up and throughout his life he has been able to create a strong bond with each of them. One particular cousin, Brady has always been Cory’s hero. A friendship that started many years ago when Brady was a little boy developed into a strong love and companionship that is indescribable. Brady, who was adopted and born as a typical healthy boy became very ill as a toddler. His family did not know or understand what happened to their little boy, but Brady developed a very serious seizure disorder. Naturally this did not stop anyone from loving him; in fact it made everyone adore him more. He was known to many as the, “miracle child,” as he lived a comparably long life of joy and compassion for others. With his contagious smile and infectious laugh, Brady touched the hearts of many. At family gatherings Cory and Brady were always together and Brady would often push others away if they sat in, “Cory’s spot.”
As a teenager, this loveable little boy grew to be extremely tall with huge feet, and loved to be active. In the later years of his life, Brady’s body became very frail and did not allow him to enjoy typical day to day tasks. He almost died many times as his body fought to maintain health. One particular "close-call," was when Cory was serving a LDS mission in South Carolina. Brady was in the hospital and struggling to survive. The doctors were positive he was going to die but as always he amazed everyone. Brady, looked up at his family and said that he was not going to die, because Cory was not home from his mission yet and he wanted to see him again. After this experience Brady was confined to a wheel chair or attached to someone’s arm every time he wanted to go anywhere. However; this did not stop the incredible Brady from doing what he wanted to do.
Brady’s family and friends have always been supportive of his life’s goals. It was incredible to see his Mom, Dad and brothers interact with him as they always made sure he was included and able to accomplish anything he set out to do. Although, Brady had thousands of seizes a day, it was never a question if he was one of the boys. Brady loved to be outside and to do everything his brothers did. His dad and brothers would always take him hunting, camping and to sporting events. They even took him out to a dirt lot and allowed him to drive the family car around in circles. With help of those that love him there was nothing he couldn’t do.
Although Brady loved everyone he met, there was one person he teased every chance he got. When Cory and JoJo were dating, Cory knew that he had to get Brady’s approval. When Brady first met JoJo, Brady smiled from ear to ear (thinking she was there for him). However, when Cory began to explain that JoJo was his girlfriend, Brady never treated JoJo the same way. He saw JoJo as the one that took Cory away and was always found teasing her. Although JoJo knew that Brady loved her, JoJo would often try to win him over by sitting next to him, but Brady would always respond with a simple, “you move, Cory’s spot.” It became a game between the two of them and it made JoJo laugh every time. This did not stop Cory and Brady from staying buds. When Cory and JoJo were getting married, Cory decided that no one was better suited to be his best man than Brady. As Brady looked like a stud in his suite, he danced with every single lady he could and smiled the entire night.
As Cory and JoJo visited Brady often their friendships deepened and the love grew deeper. Unfortunately, Brady took his last breath on September 3rd 2010. Although this was one of the biggest trials Cory’s family has ever gone through, Cory was fortunate enough to spend most of Brady’s last night on earth at his bed side holding his hand. We are thankful for Brady’s love and miss him terribly. We are filled with sorrow when we think about Brady not being able to hold our future baby, and we know that he would have loved our child just as much as he loved Cory. We both miss Brady deeply but we know we will see him again and that he is smiling down on us as we anxiously await our opportunity to become parents.
