'I wuv you and goodbye': Mother shares video, letter meant for 18th birthday of 4-year-old son killed by tornado

Contributed photo / Grayson and Mikey Meadows
Contributed photo / Grayson and Mikey Meadows

Grayson Meadows' mother, Danyelle Stone, wrote him a letter when she was 21 weeks pregnant. He was supposed to open the letter on his 18th birthday, but Sunday night's EF3 tornado took his life 14 years before that date.

Grayson, 4, and his father Mikey, 27, were trapped under rubble after the tornado ripped through their East Brainerd neighborhood, where they'd lived for about four years.

The tornado killed at least 11 people, injured dozens more and left many without power in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia. The storm destroyed hundreds of homes at a time when scores of people in the area were already struggling with the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That night, Mikey Meadows was alerted that the tornado was headed their way, his sister Christine Meadows told the Times Free Press.

"He was waking everybody up and telling them, 'We need to go right now.' He turned around to get Grayson," she said, tears stopping her mid-sentence. "And a wall collapsed on them."

"Our older brother Joe - he lives with them - he was in the next room. He was knocked down by whatever debris came into his room as well, but he crawled through the room to get to them," Christine Meadows said. "He was able to get them out of the debris - I think he had help getting them out of the debris - and neither were responsive."

They called 911 to get help, but with all the damage and debris, an ambulance couldn't get through.

"Thankfully, because of incredibly kind strangers that lived around them, they were able to help them - I believe an officer helped them, as well - they carried them all the way to get to a vehicle," she said. "I think it was like a mile or something to get Mikey and Grayson to the hospital."

Father and son both suffered severe brain injuries and were hospitalized in the ICU.

Since then, the family has pleaded with the community to pray - pray that Grayson and Mikey Meadows' lives be spared.

Doctors performed a number of tests, but Grayson ultimately didn't make it. He died Wednesday afternoon.

"Our little fighter has ran to the arms of Jesus," Danyelle Stone wrote in a public Facebook post Wednesday evening. "He talked often about how he wanted to meet Jesus because he knew he was in his heart but he wanted him to come out.

"Grayson is the kid who waves at everyone at the grocery store and wants to know why they don't wave back," she wrote. "I remember having Grayson in the stroller and standing at the round-about and waving to every single car that passed by. He has the innocence to not understand the cruelty in this world," she wrote. "He loves with everything in him and gives the biggest bestest hugs."

Stone shared the letter she wrote to him.

"First of all Happy Birthday!" she started. "If I stuck with what I wanted to do you should be getting this on your 18th birthday.

"Today is my 19th birthday and I am 21 weeks and 6 days pregnant with you. You're actually kicking me as I write this. You do that a lot lately but I love it because I know you are doing well.

"Do you have your drivers license yet?" she asked. "Your dad didn't get his until he was 18. If you still don't and it's because I'm too scared to teach you, show me this letter and tell me to suck it up. I promise you won't be in trouble.

"Your dad and I love you more than anything. He jumped up and down and squealed when we found out about you. You're a miracle to us and I'm sure you've done 100,000 more things to amaze me in 18 years. I love you Grayson[.] You will always be my baby boy."

Reading back now, Stone said, "I know the things I wanted for him in 18 years, he made happen in 4."

Mikey Meadows remains unaware of his son's death, Christine Meadows said Wednesday.

"They don't believe he understands speech right now," she said. "Of course, we're making sure right now the things that are said around him are just positive and uplifting to try and encourage him to hopefully wake up if he can hear us."

Grayson was his world, she said.

"Mikey and our older brother Joe loved taking [Grayson] out on adventures," Christine Meadows said.

"You'll never meet a more dedicated dad than Mikey," his father, Mike Meadows said.

And his mother, Yoko Thomas, said Mikey Meadows is "such a good person that would help anyone and a big kid at heart that loves Grayson so much."

Christine Meadows recalled a time when they were all together a few months ago. She was watching Mikey Meadows play-wrestle with Grayson and her own son, Atty.

"It was so funny and so sweet," she said. "I wish you could have heard their laughter. It was infectious ... It was such a good day and I want more of them so much."

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wednesday was the first day Christine Meadows or anyone else was able to visit Mikey Meadows in the hospital.

"They said it'll be the only time I'll be able to. The only reason they allowed it was because of what's going on with Grayson," she said. "We just really wanted to have at least one person be with him, even just to sit with him.

"I had to wear a mask and everything, but I was able to hold his hand and talk to him," she said.

As of Wednesday Mikey Meadows had still not awakened, Christine Meadows said.

"That's their big goal is that they're hoping he'll wake up over the next few days," she said, but he's shown a level of responsiveness on the left side of his body.

"It seems like if something's agitating him, he'll move his hands towards that ... but he's not necessarily responding when they asked him to do things," she said.

They still don't know how the brain injury will affect him, "but we're just trying to stay positive," she said.

"They said that his latest CT looked good and stable. His vitals are still stable. His heartbeat is strong."

Christine Meadows said she wanted to thank the community for the outpouring of support.

"We're overwhelmed with all the love, kindness and support from the Chattanooga community, strangers and even people across the country," she said.

As for Grayson, he "always has to be the winner and today he got the biggest gold medal a kid could ever get," Stone, his mother, wrote on Facebook. "He will donate his organs and save tons of kids and maybe even some adults, and I know that's what Grayson would want. He loves being a super hero and is the kindest most giving person. I keep saying it but he is an incredible kid."

Thursday afternoon, Erlanger Health System held a drive-by "honor walk" in honor of Grayson before he donated his organs. The walk is a ceremonial event held in hospitals across the country, but because of COVID-19, Grayson's had to be held outside.

A long line of police, fire and EMS vehicles from around the city and county participated in the procession. Grayson's family and friends also took part. And his mother and step father watched from the street.

Along with her letter and a plaque commemorating Grayson as a donor, Stone shared a video of Grayson on Facebook Wednesday. In it, he says, "And I wuv you, and goodbye."

Contact Rosana Hughes at rhughes@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327 with tips or story ideas. Follow her on Twitter @Hughes Rosana.

Contact Rosana Hughes at rhughes@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327 with tips or story ideas. Follow her on Twitter @Hughes Rosana.

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