My sunshine, a gift from above
Cade was a serious soul with a protective nature, and often assumed the role of ‘bodyguard’ for his siblings, his Nana, and everyone else he loved. Their joy was his joy; their pain was his, too. He would beam with pride at his baby brother Joel’s piano skills—even if he did not enjoy it when anyone else played. However, if any of his sister Carson’s ex-boyfriends made her cry, Cade was intent on making them regret it. He was perhaps most relaxed around his brother Wes, his best friend, wrestling partner, gaming buddy, and football teammate.
The epitome of tall, dark, and handsome, Cade still occasionally graced everyone with his winning smile and outbursts of humor. He was adventurous at heart and loved anything that took him outdoors. “He adored any kind of adventure, especially ones that gave his momma a worry,” his mother, Donna, shared. “Cade would always grin and peck me on the forehead to reassure me all was well.” Some of his biggest points of pride were winning Wrestler of the Year for the Owasso Wrestling club, and becoming the only freshman in his high school’s shooting club. He did all kinds of odd jobs, from pouring cement to driving a tractor at the local Christmas tree farm. His dreams of the future diverged into two paths that he hadn’t yet decided on: following his grandfather’s footsteps to become a welder, or starting a career in the military.
Whatever the future held, he was intent on spending it with the love of his life, Jessica. “I always said no woman would be good enough for Cade, but we all adored her,” Donna said. “He said, momma, someday I’m going to marry that girl. I loved to hear them laughing together.” While volunteering at the summer church camp, mostly for Donna’s sake, Cade discovered that he enjoyed being around children. He devoted more time to working with them, becoming the camp’s archery coach. Donna was certain that he and Jessica would have a happy family, with many little ones running around.
Cade lived with substance use disorder for two years. Donna and his loved ones witnessed the devastating effects of this disease on both Cade’s lifestyle and his personality. “It made him engage in unlawful activities that broke our hearts. He would do nothing to hurt his family, but SUD takes away the loved one you knew. Watching him become someone he wasn’t was the hardest thing. He lost his passion for life, the glimmer of boyhood mischief in his eye.” Cade became a victim of a patient brokering scheme. He was paid to complete thirty days of rehabilitation in one California facility before being sent more money to buy drugs again, test positive, and be shipped out to a new facility. The cycle seemed to go on endlessly. Though the family had proof that the broker took advantage of Cade and abused the system, no investigation was conducted.
Donna misses Cade’s smile, his sarcastic laugh, his forehead kisses. Watching him undergo the trials and changes of addiction was a brutal blow, but the family has become less judgmental of those with SUD and aim to educate kindness.
“Our mission is to help families whose children have SUD find resources,” Donna said. “We, too, were at a loss and had no guidance. We try to help people understand that if their loved one is alive, there is hope.”
Cade’s mother, Donna DuBose, provided the information for this narrative.
October 16, 1998–June 11, 2019-Age 20
Portrait Artist: Shawn Faust
Narrative Writer: Angela Day
