They say that there are some days in your lifetime that you will never forget. Even years later you can recall what you were wearing, where you were and what you were doing at an exact moment in time. I had never had one of these moments until February 17, 2016. This was the day I lost my best friend and brother. This was the day the world lost Drew Mulligan.

Drew was an amazing kid and the best big brother I could have ever asked for. A huge chunk of who I am was taken away when my brother took his last breath. From the second the words left my dad’s mouth, I knew my life would never be the same. No words can describe the pain that my family and I are experiencing in this difficult time. However, it is because of our family, friends and community that we are getting through this. So on behalf of my family, I would like to thank each and everyone of you.

For those who traveled from all over ... I would like to thank you for those who traveled hours in the car, for those who got on a plane and flew halfway across the country and even my best friend who flew halfway across the world. You could have easily decided it was too far or too big of an inconvenience to come and be with us in our time of need. However, it meant the world to us that you were with us and we are very grateful.

For our small little town … For a town with three stop lights, it would be easy to underestimate the power of Hebron. However, for a small town, we have so much strength. Drew’s death was unfortunately not the only tragedy that our town has experienced. However, each time, our community has pulled together and shown so much love and compassion for each other.

For my college friends … Thank you for giving me a home away from home that I got to escape to. Being home was hard for me and is still hard for me. But, you made coming back to school something that I not only wanted to do, but needed to do. I am lucky to have people who can distract me when I need it as well as people who I can vent to when I need it. You guys have shown me incredible support and I am so grateful.

For our friends and family … The amount of support that our friends have shown us through this difficult time is unbelievable. Our fridges were full with homemade food, our mailboxes were full with cards and letters and our phones were full from texts just letting us know that you were thinking of us and that you loved us. We would not have been able to get through this without you.

For those who played hockey with Drew … Nothing made Drew happier than lacing up his skates and hitting the ice to play beside his best friends. For those who skated beside Drew over the past years, thank you so much for being apart of the love of his life.

I want to take a second and thank those who Drew loved. Thank you for those who offered him support. Thank you for those who put up with his grumpiness. Thank you for those who made him smile and laugh. Thank you for being a friend to my brother.

Rest Easy D-Man. We love you so much!