Randall David Speck, my brother, lost his battle with cancer November, 23, 1996 at the young age of 16.
I still to this day cannot put this great loss into words. I was 21 and had accepted Christ just a few years prior to this event. My love for God immediately went to doubting God and His love for us. There has been so many emotions over the years.
I have learned, first hand, that grieving is different for everyone. Grieving can come in major stages at different points in our lives. I do know that something as small as a certain smell or song can put you right back at a very specific moment in time.
I put this memorial on my website because Randall is still very much a big part of my life. How God has used this tragedy in my life has taught me valuable lessons about life. My anger towards God slowly, but surely has drawn me to this place of peace in recent years. God is good all the time. We will never know on this side the beautiful tapestry He is weaving. We have to trust Him and in His ways. That is such a hard concept for us to grasp when tragedy happens. One specific blessing that I would like to share is my second daughter was born naturally on my brother's death anniversary. She mimics so many of Randall's characteristics that it is funny and scary all at the same time. I LOVE that I see Randall in her daily! The best is when she reacts to a situation with a phrase or look that is totally Randall made over that all I can do is laugh!
I have taught many donation exercise classes over the years that benefit The Randall Speck Pediatric Endowment Fund. It is set up and managed by The Memorial Hospital Foundation of Gulfport. With this endowment fund, children on the Mississippi Gulf Coast that use Gulfport Memorial for medical care and fit the foundation terms/conditions could have money from this endowment fund applied toward medical expenses and prescription medications. It is also being used to fund gas for transportation, hotel expenses, etc. when the child has to travel to other cities such as Jackson for specialized care for cancer and other diseases/ conditions.
Randall's fund recently bought DVD players for all the labor and delivery rooms to provide much needed education for new moms and movies for entertainment. These are just a few of the examples of how Randall's endowment fund helps out the community. The link to the endowment fund is below for anyone that would like to help our mission. The Speck and Walker families started this mission to keep Randall's memory alive while helping children in need.
Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read about this amazing young man I have the privilege to call, my brother.
Donate Here:
Memorial Hospital Foundation: Randall Speck Special Needs Fund
FaceBook Page: www.facebook.com/RandallSpeckPediatricEndowmentFund