Big Mike

Michael O'Connor was the greatest friend I ever had. I met him when I was 13 and he was around 19. He received his nickname Big Mike his sophomore year in high school. He was 6 foot 9 inches tall and weighed around 270 pounds. His mother died in childbirth due to the fact that he was born at 10 months instead of 9. Around the age of 13 when puberty kicked in for Mike his pituitary gland acted up and he began to grow. He had a series of doctor visits and surgeries on his knees because of the growth but he pressed on continuing in football and in school. As far as academics he was an honors student.

I met Mike when I was visiting my grandparents in Louisiana for the summer. I wasn't a Christian yet and at the time I didn't want to be one. I was putting myself in with the wrong people when Mike saw me one day. This particular day I was getting into another argument with some people that didn't like me too much. Mike intervened in the fight. After stopping the fight Mike brought me back to his house and began talking to me as if he had known me for years. He made me smile like I hadn't smiled in years after a few hours of him telling me about himself and why he was so big he asked me about my life and why I was hanging out with those people. I explained to him that when I was 2 years old my mother committed suicide and how I was made fun of because I was always so small. Later that night Mike took me home and told me if I ever wanted to talk or hang out he would be happy to; however, he had medical school that he was attending. The next day I was wary about contacting Mike because he scared and intimidated me, seeing as I was 2 feet shorter than he. Mike showed up at my grandparents' house and told me he was checking up on me. I told him I wanted to hang out with him that day. He told me he had to go to medical school but he would be back in a few hours and he would be more than willing to chill. Then he asked me the question, "Are you a Christian, and if not do you know about God?" This was the question I hated people asking me but when he asked me it seemed like I was talking to someone I could really trust. I told him I wasn't a Christian and I asked him if he was. He looked at me and smiled the biggest smile ever and told me he was a Christian. That day he skipped school to talk to me about God and teach me what he knew. He led me to Christ.

We kept in contact after I came back home to Mississippi. Every time I went to Louisiana I would hang out with him for a while. He became the brother I always wanted and he was always there for me. Then one day I got a call from Mike's brother, Luke, and his dad. Mike had gone out for a walk right down the street and some guy shot him in the chest 3 times. He died right as the paramedics got there. He died at the age of 21, his birthday was in a week. He was my best friend and my brother that cared more about me than anyone I know.