Dear Stephan,
I didn't get to watch you grow up the way some did, but I loved you like a brother because your mom loves me like a son. I knew your name, your spirit, and the way your mom spoke about you - with pride, laughter, and deep love.
The last time I saw you was the night of your dad's birthday party. I didn't know it would be the last time.
I carry that moment now, and it reminds me how quickly life changes and how deeply one life can impact so many others.
You are still here, Stephan. I see you in your mother's strength, in the way she keeps your name alive, and in how her love for you continues to transform pain into purpose. Your life mattered - and it still does.
Love,
Your brother from another mother
Le'andre
Stephan,
I missed you so much. There is so much I want to talk and debate about, and no one else is willing.
Stephan, your voice and thoughts are dearly needed - so much has happened since you left us. I can't imagine the laughs we would have had.
Stephan, I really wish you could have met my wife (she's the reason mom wears a flower in her hair as another way to honor your life), everyone loves her, and I'm sure you would have, too. I'll always regret not bringing her to Dad's party
But she's with me at every event we do to honor and commemorate you, and she helps Ma with her memorial plans for you. Step, you left some really big shoes for me to step into as number 3, but I do it bravely because I remember the huge legacy you left.
Love you always,
Your first baby brother
Ryaan
Fat Cat,
I'm really at a loss for words. Since your passing, so much has happened. I've changed, I've seen others change, this family has grown in numbers. Sadly, the new members will only get to know you through photos, shared stories, and recalled memories.
A memorial fund and scholarship bear your name, with the aim to introduce you to everyone seeking to better themselves through education
Many Individuals will be aided and helped by those who honor, love, and cherish the memory of your life.
Love,
Pops
Three years feels impossible because someone with a presence like yours doesn't just fade; you're still here with every loud moment, every bold choice, every time we refuse to play small.
We wear your bracelets and gather on the 11th not to mourn what's missing, but to honor what you left behind: a family that knows how to fill a room the way you did.
Rynn, Ronyn, and Rumi will never sit with you, but they'll grow up knowing the uncle who taught us that healing doesn't mean forgetting, it means loving louder. I will always remember you, and I miss my little brother, my best friend since the age of four.
-Ray
Dear Steph,
Wassgudd, bro! I miss you and wish we could still talk football nd hear you drop that life wisdom on me. I came to know your people by showing up to remember you - the first time was six-month stone painting - and even though I met them later than I should have, I'm grateful for the bond we share.
I know you're covered by God and still looking out for all of us. Love you always.
- Elison
I miss you so much, and I think about you every day. I remember the fun things we did together, and Mom keeps them going, which makes me smile... Even when I feel sad. I hope you know how much I love you. I will keep eating the cake, and I will always keep you in my heart forever.
Love your baby sister,
Saige (Peaches)
Stephan, I wish you were still here. Since 2023, I've learned how deep your impact really was. I think of you often and hold you close, especially through all the ways Ma keeps your memory alive for our family.
Love your youngest brother,
Siar
We wear pink because it became your favorite color after I was born. Your exit made me work harder. I live braver because I remember who you were.
I love you 5ever.
- Naiya
A mother’s love does not end when her child leaves this earth. This is my letter to my son Stephan, whose life continues to shape my journey every day.
My precious #2 son, Stephan,
There are moments when I sit quietly and think about the journey your life has taken — from the day you arrived on this earth, to the day heaven welcomed you home, and all the ways your life continues to move through the world even now.
At your funeral, the message spoken again and again was simple: you mattered. People knew they mattered to you because you made sure they felt it.
You encouraged people. You noticed people. You went out of your way to lift others up.
People often tell me they wish they had a son like you. When they say that, I simply smile and think about how blessed I was that God chose me to be your momma.
Even when you were young, the signs of who you were were already there.
When you were only twelve years old, you pushed me out of the way of a car without hesitation. You protected me instinctively. From the time you were little, you never wanted to see your momma cry. You carried a protective love for me that was far beyond your years.
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I will always hold dear the day I took you to sign up for the Fort Washington Cannons. With the confidence only you had, you proudly declared, “Mom’s are the best!” That moment has stayed in my heart.
From rec league to high school and all the way through college, I was there cheering for you. I am so grateful that I got to watch you play, compete, grow, and become the man you were becoming.
When I was very sick, you drove me all the way to Thomaston, Georgia to a healing ministry called Be In Health because you believed I could be well. After making sure I arrived safely, you stayed the next day and then caught a plane back home.
While you were there, the owner of the house where we were staying gave you a ride. After spending time with you, she came back and said something I will never forget... she wished she had a son like you. Later she even sent a letter that was read at your funeral.
That was the kind of impact you had on people.
You were also a brother who deeply loved your siblings. You mentored your brothers, encouraged them, and wanted the very best for them.
And you had such a special love for your sisters.
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You were the very first person I told when I was pregnant with Naiya. I will never forget the way you smiled that day. That same big smile appeared every time you were with her and even your last day as you bragged that she looked like Beyoncé.
When I went into labor with Saige at only 30 weeks, you sent me one of the most calming and heartfelt texts filled with prayer, encouragement, and well wishes. Even though she was the youngest, you still went out of your way to be present in her life.
Looking back now, I realize something.
The signs were always there.
The heart you carried for people was never meant to stop with you. I believe that same heart has been reignited in me. I knew deep inside that March 4, the day of your funeral, would forever call me to march through life differently.
Since the day you went to heaven, I have traveled across cities and oceans telling people about you. I have passed out your bracelets around the world so that your life and your message would continue touching hearts.
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And your dad (aka pops) and siblings have become my greatest support system. Together, we carry your legacy forward. They pass out your bracelets too, sharing your story with others, and every month on the 11th, we intentionally celebrate your life and remember the love you brought into this world. Your pops is still staying dangerous( IYKYK), and he even created a memorial scholarship in your honor.
Pink was always our color. It was something we shared. That is why I still wear pink every day. Your bracelets are always on my arm, and sometimes I place a flower or a butterfly in my hair as a reminder that love transforms, just like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.
And even now, out of all nine of my children, you remain the only one who called me Momma.
And I am still your momma. I didn’t stop being your mother the day you left this earth.
Your life did not end your story. It expanded it. Your legacy of love and courage will be big and bold. Your legacy of reminding others that they matter will continue through your mama.
I will tell your story, step by step, for as long as I live.
Forever proud to be your momma.
With all my love,
Momma
Gone but never forgotten
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