Tim Stewart
06-12-2003, 09:55 AM
Copyright 2003 The Deseret News Publishing Co.
Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah)
June 11, 2003, Wednesday
SECTION: LOCAL; Pg. B01
LENGTH: 617 words
HEADLINE: Students show true friendship
BYLINE: By Lee Benson Deseret Morning News
BODY:
At East High School's graduation ceremonies tonight, it's a safe bet that the
most enthusiastic parents in the audience will be Jeff and Stephanie Hunt.
On the surface, that might seem like an odd prediction, since a year ago the
Hunts' son, Adam, collapsed during a P.E. class with an undiagnosed heart
condition and after a five-week hospital battle died.
Adam was at the end of his junior year at the time, heading into his final
year of high school with a full head of steam. He was a two-way starter on the
football team, he drove a cool old truck, he looked out for the disadvantaged,
he was popular with the girls -- your basic big-man-on-campus.
At 5-foot-11 and 154 pounds there wasn't an ounce of fat on him; he may have
been the fittest kid in the school. Then, out of the blue, he fell down while he
was running during a gym class workout and couldn't get back up. The official
name of what he had was hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Translated into human
terms, Adam's heart was way too big for his body.
Last May 15, the day he was rushed to the hospital, gave the Hunts their
first clue that their son was not lacking in the friendship-and-admiration
department. Close to a hundred East High classmates showed up at University
Hospital to check on his progress -- about five minutes after he was admitted.
Doctors and nurses had to maneuver around them like Manhattan traffic. And the
kids didn't leave. Dozens of them stayed all night. When it was time for family
prayer, Jeff and Steph suddenly had 50 new members of the family.
Throughout Adam's five-week stay, the students kept a bedside vigil. At least
30 a night showed up, homework or no homework. When the Sadie Hawkins Dance came
along, about 50 couples left the high school gym early and spent the rest of the
evening with their buddy Adam.
The support and caring for Adam and his family was omnipresent. When Jeff and
Stephanie came home from the hospital, they found East High kids in their yard
planting flowers. At the school, a bucket was passed around for spare change to
pay Adam's truck payments. A week later they paid off the truck: $1,600 in
quarters, dimes, nickels and a few crumpled ones.
"It was unbelievable what these kids did," says Jeff -- and it didn't stop
the day five weeks later when Adam's big heart took his life.
"If anything, they came around more," says Stephanie.
Adam's football teammates, along with his coaches, dug up endzone turf at the
East High field from the exact spot where Adam scored a winning touchdown
against Highland and transplanted it at his plot at the Salt Lake Cemetery --
all of this at 2 in the morning. They painted Adam's old truck red and put his
football number, 26, on the side. During one game this past season, they brought
Adam's little brother, 8-year-old Spencer, down to the field and made him team
captain. It was the only game the team won all year.
When Adam's sister Emily turned 13, a good-sized portion of East's senior
class picked her up at her house and took her out to celebrate. Last Christmas,
East High seniors donated an "Adam" tree to the Festival of Trees. On Mother's
Day, Stephanie got roses.
"We have seen a side of love, compassion and caring from these teenagers that
we will never forget," says Stephanie. "They have cried with us, laughed with us
and let us be a part of their lives. On graduation tonight, while parents are
saying goodbye and congratulations to their kids, we will be saying goodbye and
congratulations to the seniors we will never forget. We believe they are angels.
"
Lee Benson's column runs Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please send
e-mail to benson@desnews.com and faxes to 801-237-2527.
LOAD-DATE: June 11, 2003
Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah)
June 11, 2003, Wednesday
SECTION: LOCAL; Pg. B01
LENGTH: 617 words
HEADLINE: Students show true friendship
BYLINE: By Lee Benson Deseret Morning News
BODY:
At East High School's graduation ceremonies tonight, it's a safe bet that the
most enthusiastic parents in the audience will be Jeff and Stephanie Hunt.
On the surface, that might seem like an odd prediction, since a year ago the
Hunts' son, Adam, collapsed during a P.E. class with an undiagnosed heart
condition and after a five-week hospital battle died.
Adam was at the end of his junior year at the time, heading into his final
year of high school with a full head of steam. He was a two-way starter on the
football team, he drove a cool old truck, he looked out for the disadvantaged,
he was popular with the girls -- your basic big-man-on-campus.
At 5-foot-11 and 154 pounds there wasn't an ounce of fat on him; he may have
been the fittest kid in the school. Then, out of the blue, he fell down while he
was running during a gym class workout and couldn't get back up. The official
name of what he had was hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Translated into human
terms, Adam's heart was way too big for his body.
Last May 15, the day he was rushed to the hospital, gave the Hunts their
first clue that their son was not lacking in the friendship-and-admiration
department. Close to a hundred East High classmates showed up at University
Hospital to check on his progress -- about five minutes after he was admitted.
Doctors and nurses had to maneuver around them like Manhattan traffic. And the
kids didn't leave. Dozens of them stayed all night. When it was time for family
prayer, Jeff and Steph suddenly had 50 new members of the family.
Throughout Adam's five-week stay, the students kept a bedside vigil. At least
30 a night showed up, homework or no homework. When the Sadie Hawkins Dance came
along, about 50 couples left the high school gym early and spent the rest of the
evening with their buddy Adam.
The support and caring for Adam and his family was omnipresent. When Jeff and
Stephanie came home from the hospital, they found East High kids in their yard
planting flowers. At the school, a bucket was passed around for spare change to
pay Adam's truck payments. A week later they paid off the truck: $1,600 in
quarters, dimes, nickels and a few crumpled ones.
"It was unbelievable what these kids did," says Jeff -- and it didn't stop
the day five weeks later when Adam's big heart took his life.
"If anything, they came around more," says Stephanie.
Adam's football teammates, along with his coaches, dug up endzone turf at the
East High field from the exact spot where Adam scored a winning touchdown
against Highland and transplanted it at his plot at the Salt Lake Cemetery --
all of this at 2 in the morning. They painted Adam's old truck red and put his
football number, 26, on the side. During one game this past season, they brought
Adam's little brother, 8-year-old Spencer, down to the field and made him team
captain. It was the only game the team won all year.
When Adam's sister Emily turned 13, a good-sized portion of East's senior
class picked her up at her house and took her out to celebrate. Last Christmas,
East High seniors donated an "Adam" tree to the Festival of Trees. On Mother's
Day, Stephanie got roses.
"We have seen a side of love, compassion and caring from these teenagers that
we will never forget," says Stephanie. "They have cried with us, laughed with us
and let us be a part of their lives. On graduation tonight, while parents are
saying goodbye and congratulations to their kids, we will be saying goodbye and
congratulations to the seniors we will never forget. We believe they are angels.
"
Lee Benson's column runs Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please send
e-mail to benson@desnews.com and faxes to 801-237-2527.
LOAD-DATE: June 11, 2003