CROSSVILLE, Tenn. — A parent’s love for their child is inexplicable. It’s a love that knows no boundaries here on Earth.
Like Chester Goad and Joy Goad’s love for their son — Corban. He died in 2022 after a car crash, and his parents wanted to find a way to continue his dedication to service. His last conversation was with a paramedic.
“In the course of that, there was something to the effect of, ‘Guys, I’m leaving.' And so, he left us. But we know where he is,” said Chester. “It's (their love) unconditional. It's always going to be there, it never stops."
Corban loved sports and his family. His parents created the Serve Strong foundation, supporting first responders and helping identify any of the needs they may have, such as comfort supplies or exercise equipment at their stations. It also helps them find mental health resources.
“We realized that first responders deal with so much trauma,” they said.
Corban's parents also said after his death, days like Mother's Day and Father's Day are hard for the family. They also said Corban loved space as a child.
This year, the couple woke up to a photograph of his son honored all the way from space. Barry "Butch" Wilmore is an astronaut from East Tennessee, and he is at the International Space Station as part of a test flight for the Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
He took a picture of a piece of paper with Earth in the background. The paper said it's in loving memory of Corban Goad.
“He sent the pictures from space, and he goes, ‘This is Corban's moment, this is not my moment. I don't want this to be about an astronaut.’ And that just really, really touched our hearts," said the Goads.
They said Corban’s legacy will continue to live on, and their love for him will stretch all the way to space and beyond.
“I see Corban everywhere, and in everything,” said Chester. “Sometimes when I’m driving in a car, just listening to the radio, because Corban used to ride with me, and I look over and I just feel like he's there."