Loving, creative, talented, beautiful
Kati was a brilliant child, who her mother says was full grown by the age of two. She had a heart-warming smile and was truly a sight to behold, with a laugh that was joyous as bells. Being a chorus kid, she loved to sing and did a cappella at her church every week. She was very talented and loved to crochet, draw and paint.
Kati was always ahead of her time. She started walking at ten months and could carry on conversations and arguments by age two, always keeping her family entertained and on their toes. Her mom recalls fondly how, no matter what kind of meat they were eating, Kati always asked for more chicken. She always had an appetite and loved holidays, especially Thanksgiving, because she had her whole family around her and could eat as much as her heart desired.
Kati loved people for who they were and always saw the best in them. She had a lot of friends both as a teenager and adult and she spent a lot of time on her parents’ back porch singing with friends who played guitar. Among her close family members are her older brother and sister, Eric, and Debi, as well as her foster sisters Tyger and Becca. She loved children and earned the name “Nonnie, best Auntie Ever,” because if there was a baby around, she’d always be holding them.
So many people loved Kati. She always had an entourage of family and friends who loved to be in her company. She was engaged to Garrett, the father of their son Easton, who is now six years old. Garrett and Kati’s mother, Melissa, constantly remark on how much Easton resembles his mother. Despite her addiction, Kati was a good mother and spent most of her days with her son. They loved watching Disney movies, reading, and coloring together. Melissa does crafts with Easton to help him feel close to his mother and always includes him in celebrating Kati’s birthday and angelversary.
The hardest part of living with someone with substance use disorder, (SUD), Melissa said, was when Kati would go on benders and disappear for a few days before calling her and asking to be brought home. The constant mood swings and the switch from active addiction to detox were hard to witness. She says she misses Kati saying, “Mama, I love you,” while embraced in her hugs.
While she always strived to create a safe space for the teens in her life that experience SUD, Melissa has some advice for those who are going to use drugs. “First, don’t use alone, second, let the other person know what you’re taking, and third, always have an overdose reversal drug on hand. You never know who is going to need it.”
Kati’s Mother, Melissa Bentley, provided information for this narrative.
December 1, 1999-October 23, 2020-Age 20
Portrait Artist: Shawn Faust
Narrative Writer: Victoria Estes
