Kainan Green was one of two Stephens County High School football players who died as a result of a crash that killed four local teens
This was supposed to be a story of hope: A story that begged for a happy ending. But in the few seconds that passed between starting my computer and answering a phone call, that all changed.
There seemed little hope left upon hearing the news of Kainan Green’s death. His passing was another stab in the heart of our community – a community already reeling from the loss of three of Kainan’s friends.
For seven days people prayed for the Toccoa teen’s recovery. #KGStrong spread across social media and came to symbolize the 17-year-old’s fighting spirit. Green was a Stephens County High School athlete known for his determination on the field and court; a young man with the “heart of a lion”, according to one teammate.
Those who rallied around him and held vigil by his hospital bedside knew this day might come. They prayed unceasingly that it wouldn’t. But life, as we all were so cruelly reminded last week, does not bend to our fervent desires. It breathes upon us moments of joy. It suffocates us in our sorrow.
Kainan Green’s death is not the ending so many hoped and prayed for. This is not the story I intended to write. Another teen. Another funeral. Far too many in too short a span for our tight-knit corner of the world.
Tristen Helton.
Kennedy Wright.
Eli Alexander.
Kainan Green.
They died far too young.
The last of their funerals was held Thursday, July 13, when Kainan was memorialized at Stephens County High. For the second time in eight days people gathered in the school auditorium to say goodbye to another son, player, teammate, and friend.
For the fourth time in ten days, parents connected through tragedy buried a child.
In time, the heaviness of these days will begin to subside. Thoughts of what might have been will eventually be softened by the memory of what was. Still, the loss of these four vibrant lives leaves a void in our hearts and our community and reminds us all of just how fragile and fleeting life is.
