~ Larry "Travis" Shaun Carter ~

October 27,1972 - December 24,1998

.

&

Travis' Poem

" I've come here thru the whisper of the wind.

These broken ties I will soon mend.

.

A water sign, of the tenth month which I was born.

Nothing in life is ever truely taken or torn.

.

A mystic thing this life really is for all to witness,

  The beauty of senses and experiences, cannot compare.

.,

So when my thoughts enter yours - look to  the sky and I'll be there! "

.

" Live each moment to the fullest, never give up your dreams

and most importantly enjoy being you! "

..

~ Travis ~.

Our family

Travis,  his mom and two sisters

..

Travis was  bright and witty.. full of charm..  He was a son, a brother.. and, a friend..

 He loved sports and music and people.

He loved animals and nature.   Most of all he loved his mother and two sisters..

and they, of course,  loved him.

 Without his father in the home, Travis had been  the 'man of the house' -

 he liked it that way.  

.

Then came that day, December 24, 1998.  That awful Christmas Eve when Travis decided to end his life..

He was only 26 years old.

 At that moment, in Travis' mind, it was the right thing to do.

 But, something wasn't right. You see, Travis suffered from Bipolar Disorder (manic depression).

. He had been suffering from it for much of his life ...

though it took doctors years to  make the diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder.

.

This disorder is not a character flaw, and it is no one's fault.

It is a serious mood disorder which affects a person's ability to

function in every day activities.

It affects one's work, one's family, and one's social life.  Ones.. life.

.

 Manic depression can send a person plunging from a high state,

where one may believe one has superhuman energy and abilities,

into a pit of despair,

where it may seem as if the only way out is suicide.

.

 Though there is no cure, there are very effective treatments

available.  So effective that, sometimes

patients believe they are 'cured' and stop taking their medication.

.

This is what  happened to Travis.

 He thought he didn't need his medicine anymore.

 He stopped taking it.  He shot himself ...

.. as his mother desperately  begged him not to.

.

  It's very likely that if Travis had continued taking his medication,

he would be here today ...

being a good son, brother, uncle,  and friend.  

He would  be playing his music,  playing ball in the yard with

his  niece ...  perhaps writing or painting.

 And, he would be taking the very best care he could of his family.

.

That is not to be.

.

but, we do have his loving and compassionate spirit

 It is that spirit that gives Travis' mother the strength

to go on each day .. and,

his family  hopes that someone reading this may be helped in some way.

.

 If you are suffering from depression,  please seek help.

 Or, if you know someone who is suffering form depression,

educate yourself about the disorder so that you may

 understand and help them.  

Realize how important it is to take the prescribed medication...

and, never give up.

 At the end of the page, you will find some links with information and

valuable resources about Bipolar Disorder..

.

Please take care of yourself

You are worth it.

I promise  ...

.

"Before you were conceived

I wanted you

Before you were born

I loved you

Before you were here an hour

I would die for you

†his is †he miracle of life."

..

from "The Miracle" by Maureen Hawkins

..

Still Their Mothers

.

We are the Mothers....that don't know how to act.

We are the Mothers....that can't accept the fact.

.

We are the Mothers....that feel the crushing pain.

We are the Mothers....that sometimes feel insane.

.

We are the Mothers....that feel lost and alone.

We are the Mothers....that sometimes scream and moan.

.

We are the Mothers....that are sad and sigh.

We are the Mothers....that watch time pass by.

.

We are the Mothers....that pace our home.

We are the Mothers....that have thoughts that roam.

.

We are the Mothers....that remember their hugs and kiss.

We are the Mothers....that their child they miss.

.

We are the Mothers....that have cried and cried.

We are the Mothers....of a child that's died.

.

We are Still Their Mothers

~ Written by Judy Craig, Travis' mother ~

.

Another beautiful poem written by Judy   "Grief"

"Still Their Mothers" and "Grief"  are the copyrighted writings of  Judy Craig ...

Please do not use them without her permission.  Thank you.

.

"The human heart

feels things the eyes cannot see,

and knows what the mind cannot understand."

.

Thank you, Travis ... You lit up my life.

You are in the arms of  the angels, but

. You are still my son, and

I will always love you.

.

Your mother

.

Thank you for visiting Travis' memorial site.  Please take a moment to sign the guest book.  It only takes a minute, and it means so much..  Thank you...

.You are also invited to view the guest book.

.

.

Sometimes our light goes out

But ís blown into flame by another

human being.

Each of us owes

deepes† †hanks †o †hose who

have rekindled †his light.

Please visit another page created in Travis' memory:

Travis.

The beautiful song you hear is "I Promise"  ... composed and performed by

Cheri Potter of Phoenix, AZ

Travis' mother chose this song, and  it is being used with Cheri's permission.

 Thank you so much, Cheri ...

.

  If you enjoy this song, please support the artist and purchase her music.

 To learn more about Cheri, visit her web site; The dove will take you there..

 email Cheri 

* New *  

Added 11-14-2000 ~ Click on the book to view family photos

.

Click on the dove to view the poetry page

Resources, information and support for Bipolar Disorder

.

Bipolar Disorders Information Center

All About Bipolar Disorder - Mental Health Net

Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation

Online Resources for People With Bipolar Disorder

The Winds of Change Bipolar Disorder Online Support Group

Bipolar Parents- Support and Resources for Parents

.

Thank you for coming.  I hope you enjoyed Travis' site.

Before you leave, will you please take a moment to help feed the hungry ...

Your donation is free and it only takes about 5 seconds.

You can donate once a day per screen name by simply clicking the link below. 

 Sponsors pay for your donations, so, if you have a moment to visit the sponsor links,

 that would be nice, too.  Thanks!

.

Stop World  Hunger

.

Thank you....

..

" May you have rainbows after every storm,

Plenty of hope to keep you warm...

And, may you always have an angel by your side. "

.

~ Oriana ~

This site was designed  by :

Oriana's Art & Web Design

.

 copyrights 2000-2001:

Debbie Grosjean

Oriana41@aol.com   

GraphxByOriana@aol.com

All graphics bearing my name are my original copyrighted works and may not be used without my written permission.

  If you are interested in using my graphics, Please read my terms and conditions.   Thank you.

.

Please visit these other sites designed by me..

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.

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This page was published October 15, 2000

Last updated April 25, 2001

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