FORT MYERS, Fla. — As the family of Kristopher Reid watches videos, listening to the music he beautifully played, it has a different meaning now. The 32-year-old tragically lost his life to Glioblastoma, a rare brain disease that all started with a headache on August 3rd. His mother a registered nurse says, the impact this disease had on her son was aggressive, but Kris continued fighting.
“Because the tumor was sitting on the left side of his brain, right behind his left eye, that Kris would lack the ability to speak or comprehend language. Fortunate for us after surgery, Kristopher spoke 2 hours after. He was able to be discharged from the hospital 7 days after ICU,” said Sonya Reid, Kristopher Reid’s mother.
Until Kris’s body took a turn for the worst. After radiation and chemotherapy, even taking a trip to Jamaica, his intestines started to fail, causing his family to make one of the toughest decisions of their lives.
“With all that was going on, we decided we would then place him on hospice because we know he was declining. It was a lot, in terms that Kris is a guy, who showered twice per day and now he was being bathed bed baths,” said Reid.
Kris passed in the comfort of his mother's home on January 29, 2021, but Sonya Reid says, during his last hours, the community Kris impacted helped set his spirit free.
“One of the best things that had happened to Kris during that end part of his life is that his special friend Delisa had set up a prayer conference, and on the night of the 28th they had a Zoom phone prayer group and it was over 220 something people. Kristopher was not able to speak but he was able to hear, and he was able to settle into his breathing, He was much more comfortable with his pain, and so we felt that prayer session ushered Kristopher into the arms of God,” said Reid.
Delisa Smith, Kris Reid’s special friend says, Kris, not only changed her life but everyone around him especially the members of his church at Mount Hermon Ministries. At church Kris was active in youth ministry, ordained as a minister, and graced the congregation with the sound of the keys.
“I remember after surgery Kris wanted to come to church. Now keep in mind he was not supposed to be able to talk, he was not supposed to be able to walk, and he was never supposed to be able to play the keys but he came to church. It was just something about seeing him continue his ministry with a diagnosis like that,” said Delisa Smith.
A son, brother, friend, and mentor gone too soon, impacting the lives of an entire community, Kristopher Reid, left a mark that will never be forgotten.
“It’s not going to be the same without Kris, but again his legacy will live on, we will continue to remember him, and we will continue to do what we need to do to make sure that we get to see Kris again,” said Smith.
For more information on Kristopher Reid’s story head to his Instagramnow run by his friend Delisa Smith.
