On Friday, August 28th, we lost my brother Nathan to a mental health crisis. He was 23 years old.
Nathan was adopted from Odessa at age 3 by his parents, Celia and James Mosley, who gave him a home full of love. After losing Celia to cancer, our dad James became Nathan’s sole caregiver for the next 20 years, and their bond was one of the great joys of Nathan’s life.
Nathan lived with epilepsy and autism, and endured more than 400 seizures over his lifetime. But about 15 months ago, the seizures stopped, and Nathan was truly living. He was in the best stretch of his life: shooting hoops, taking long walks, playing darts, billiards, and ping-pong, and going to dinner with our dad, where he’d share a beer and sneak a few extra sips when he thought no one was looking.
Nathan was hilarious, and his spirit was contagious. He loved a good inappropriate joke, his dad’s personality clearly rubbing off on him, and James made sure he laughed every single day. Making people feel cared for and loved mattered deeply to Nathan, especially the neighbors he greeted regularly. Some of his favorite evenings were spent watching Seinfeld reruns or YouTube bloopers with our dad, and on harder nights, Gilligan’s Island in the middle of the night.
Nathan was also a budding creator, writing original stories and dozens of his own characters, including Captain Autism. He was looking forward to writing more and sharing his work with others.
This past year, Nathan’s world was opening up. He started attending autism LCR game nights, special needs dances and bunco nights, and made friends through a neurodivergent Zoom group, people he felt comfortable with and was just beginning to share his life with.
Even in his passing, Nathan continued to give. He had chosen to be an organ donor, and his gift went on to save the lives of six other people.
Thank you for reading about our Nathan and for holding our family in your thoughts and prayers. His unexpected passing has brought immediate financial needs, and any contribution would be greatly appreciated.
