On October 10th 2011 at 9:48 pm my son died in a single car accident. Pleading prayers to God that my son was not the one in the car.  Half my heart went with Drew when my prayers were not answered.  Life as I knew it ended and darkness covered everything.  Days became weeks and still no sign of hope or light could I see.  I returned to work in hope that some sort of normal may exist.  I was walking blindly through the rubble of what was left of my life and my family. Only when I could not stand anymore did I go to my knees, my plea for the Lord now became a simple request.  “Dear Father, please give me the faith that there is just a hope of light somewhere in this darkness”.

 

Can I tell you that everything became light all at once?  No!  Yet I held on to the promise of that plea.  I knew I had to be a part of finding that light and I set out to find it.  My biggest loneliness was the silence that enveloped my home when my 17 year old amazing gifted musician/composer was gone.  I no longer could take care of Drew but I made a promise to him that I would as long as I am on this earth I would keep Drew’s name alive.  God gave Drew a gift of music, Drew gave that gift of music back to anyone who wanted to hear it.   I sat down with my husband and surviving children with this thought…. So my Journey began led by the gift the Lord God above gave my son, the gift of music.  Drew’s Gift of Music,  founded in January 2012.  

 

Our Mission: To carry on Drew Shearin’s passion and dedication for music and all of its arrangements by empowering students to obtain musical instruments, financial support for instruction and scholarships for advanced music education.

 

As a grieving mother I quickly learned speaking of my dead son often made people feel uncomfortable, yet speaking my son's name in the foundation started did not make people feel uncomfortable.  I got to speak of his music and his dreams of composing, teaching and playing his music.  In 2013 this first instrument was licensed to a student.  Seeing the students and parents' joy of being able to be a part of music programs made my heart leap.  I got to see Drew’s love grow into something great.  Throughout my journey I have learned what acceptance is in the loss of my son,  it sure wasn't what I was told. To me acceptance is accepting I will carry half a heart the rest of my life.  Faith will give me the straight to go on.   My prayer to the good Lord was answered.  There is light, even with the pain I will carry until the day I hold him in my arms again.

 

You can live a great life with half a heart.

“God’s promise was when everything fell,  we would be held!”

 

Drew’s Mom

Deb Johnson

Founder of Drew's Gift of Music