Tragedy can strike at any moment. When the deadly storms broke out in Arkansas this past week, Jeffrey Hunter, a senior at the University of Central Arkansas, was hiding in a bathroom in a house in Vilonia. As much as he was looking forward to getting his diploma so he could finally live his life long dream of becoming a world traveler and taking his first set of journeys outside of America, he simply knew that he would not make it.

There was a large tornado headed straight for the house he was in. He knew how dire his situation was, so he did what came naturally to him: he reached out to his mom.

Jeffrey was 20 miles away when he texted his mom during the storm.

His mom, Regina, said that at first he told her, “Mama, I’m so scared.”

Jeffrey knew that the tornado was headed right for him. These were the final texts he sent to his mother.

Regina told him that she loved him. She never heard from her son again.

His mother kept asking, “Are you okay? Are you okay? Let me know. Let me know.” She never got a response.

Jeffrey was hiding from the tornado in a house with his father and stepmother. Their neighbor, Lyman Watkins, crawled out of his own house and found Jeffrey on the ground.

He didn’t make it through the storm… but he was able to say goodbye.

Source

Tragically, 15 people were killed in Arkansas from tornadoes, including Jeffrey. There were 37 total deaths in eight states from these storms… it was the worst tornado outbreak so far this year.

“Goodbye mama…”

Thinking to reach out to Regina was the most precious thing a son could do for his mother. She was so thankful that she was able to speak with him one last time. It was a gift she will treasure forever. The next time you hear the word “YOLO,” simply think of Jeffrey’s story and you ought to take that word a lot more seriously. Travel while you still can, because you never really know which trip could be your last. Share Jeffrey’s heartwarming final act with others. It’s heart shattering.

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