A beautiful young man died last week.  He had just turned 15.  He was becoming a talented artist with a passion for drawing, and he was developing musical skills as a guitar player, drummer, and pianist.  As a freshman, he was a member of the high school band.  He enjoyed the outdoors and already showed skill as a hunter and fisherman.

Like most young males, he liked Marvel Comics, playing video games, and spending time with his dog.  He had braces on his teeth.

He was clever and funny and loved by his friends.  He treasured the members of his close family, and he (as the youngest of the crew) was loved passionately in return.  Not always easy in one so young, he had a clear sense of who he was and a well-developed self-image.  As a young teenager, he was just becoming a man who would make others proud.  His prospects were good, his potential unlimited.  He was respectful and considerate.

He was also recently vaccinated.  It was important to someone that this healthy youngster be vaccinated against a virus that has little to no effect on anyone of his age and good health.  Alone a few days after Christmas, this 15-year-old collapsed with a heart attack and died.

The medical professionals are calling his condition an "unknown genetic heart issue."  It is more than just a mite curious that this "genetic condition" has never before manifested itself in other members of his family. 

We lost a wonderful young man this week for no good reason whatsoever.

Karen Larson is a retired editor and journalist who, together with her husband, relocated a year ago to a town much like Lake Wobegon in a red state in Flyover Country, where all the children are smart and courteous, the women are beautiful, and the men are hardworking farmers.

Image via Pexels.