Six-year-old Michigan native Jaxon Carter was only five years old when he lost his mother, Taryn Marie Gainey. His mother tragically passed away in an apartment fire in Harrison Township, Michigan. Though he was young, the impact of the incident weighed heavily especially happening just a few weeks for him to have enrolled in kindergarten.
When his teacher at New Dawn Academy asked Jaxon to give a speech at their kindergarten graduation, he saw it as an opportunity to give a spirited tribute to his beautiful mother. His nearly 4-minute speech honoring his late mother held the gathering spellbound and left many with tears filling their eyes. He touched on how despite the tragedy, he found the strength to make his marks to make his mom proud.
“When I started kindergarten at New Dawn Academy in August 2022, I was a little 5-year-old who had lost my beautiful mother a month before,” Jaxon said, according to ABC7 News. “I learned to play with other kids, read books, answer or ask questions like how or why, use correct grammar, and use my school tablet.”
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“My kindergarten year helped me grow braver, smarter, kind-hearted, and more grateful,” he added. He concluded by thanking his teacher, father, and grandparents. As much as he missed his mother, he believes the vacuum has been filled with the good grades he is making, the awards he has picked, and his kindergarten experience.
Jaxon worked effortlessly on the speech with the help of his grandmother, Linda Howard-Carter. His hard work paid off as his words flawlessly left many of the patrons of the graduation emotional. Jaxon’s expression is a reflection of the deep bond between his mother and him.
Thankfully, he isn’t alone as he has all his grandparents alive to carry him through the journey of life. He said that they have been his biggest support system and this is evident in testimonies given about the six-year-old boy. Principal of New Dawn Academy, Conrad R. Koch, said he was gobsmacked by Jaxon’s speech.
“He came to school with a good attitude, ready to learn. Whether it was the spelling bee, learning how to read, learning how to write his name, whatever the challenge was, Jaxon was able to meet it,” Koch said.
