Remembering and Celebrating a Hero, Justin Cochran

Justin was an inspiration to everyone he touched. Help us celebrate him! Share stories and messages here. He passed away in Aug '14, but memories live on!

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all” – A quote by Helen Keller that Justin repeated to everyone throughout his life. It was his favorite quote to be sure. And he lived by it. Justin was inspiration to all who knew him. Starting at a very early age, he always pushed the limits. He had this keen sense of what was truly important in life. He made friends easily with his quick-witted

humor and charisma that drew people to him, and he didn’t hesitate to put himself out there to stand up for what he believed. He was passionate about many things: travel, adventure, science, sustainability, technology, helping others, new experiences, and most importantly, relationships. Without question, he very much lived life the way that he saw fit…not how others thought he should. Justin was one of a kind from the start. A high school friend wrote, “Justin was an inspiration to me, and he was a dear friend to me during a rough time in my life…he was kind and always made me laugh… To this day, I always pick up any trash I see because he would do that in the halls at school. He wanted to leave the world better than he found it.” After high school, Justin wanted to see the world. He spent three years backpacking across the globe. He was adventurous at his core. He saw as much as he could, made numerous friends along the way, slept under the stars, and lived with families in foreign lands that welcomed his kind spirit into their homes. He earned his skydiving license, his private pilot’s license, his scuba diving license in the Red Sea, and he was working on his commercial pilot’s license at the age of 22 when he suffered a severe spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down and ventilator dependent. After his spinal cord injury, most would have given up. But Justin chose to wake up every day and face the types of challenges that those of us with working bodies will never be able to comprehend, no matter how we try. Despite all of the unbelievable and overwhelming obstacles, within months of his injury, he was peer mentoring other SCI survivors and starting school in an aerospace engineering program. He went on to give speeches and testimony to state congress and research organizations, served on public policy making and distribution committees, served as a counselor and volunteer for disability programs, and advocated for independent living and the rights of people with disabilities of all kinds. He went skydiving again and even took others hang gliding with him. He showed all of us that there really are no limits. While Justin suffered numerous complications after his injury, he had a stubborn will to never give up. For every hospital visit and setback that he encountered, he fought harder. “It’s not about feeling sorry for yourself”, Justin said in a recent article. “It’s about moving forward and making each day count.”

The complications from his injury finally became too much for Justin’s body to handle, and he passed away from a septic infection on August 13, 2014. His mother and sister were by his side. Two months before he passed, he told a local paper, “If I had one wish, it wouldn’t be for me. It would be for others to not take life for granted and make the most of every moment.” He was a hero that inspired many, and he will be greatly missed by all. There is no doubt that Justin succeeded in leaving this world better than he found it. Justin is survived by his mother, Shari Gorman Paglio and her husband, Peter, of Dawsonville, GA, his sister, Shannon (33), and her husband, Peter Shoemaker, of Decatur, GA, and his father , Mike Terry-Cochran, and his wife, Mitzi, of Loudon, TN. In lieu of a funeral, the family is holding a Celebration of Justin’s Life on Saturday, October 18, from 5-9pm at the Relix Variety Theatre in Knoxville, TN. It is open to everyone, and the family requests that people wear bright colors instead of black, if possible. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to the Justin Cochran Spinal Cord Injury Foundation, PO Box 52244, Knoxville, TN 37950.

Photos from Remembering and Celebrating a Hero, Justin Cochran's post

08/13/2017

Missing this sweet face...

08/17/2016

Today would have been Justin's 34th birthday! Help us honor his memory today by doing something he would have inspired or encouraged you to do....have a small adventure, do something outside your comfort zone, spend time with friends or family, help someone in need, or just leave work a little early (he would say leave work a LOT early :)). Be spontaneous. Create a memory. Make each moment count!

Not Done Yet: Mom Chronicles Son’s Remarkable Story Of Survival; Golf Tournament To Be Held In His H

06/10/2016

An article that Justin's mom wrote on this day in 2012, briefly describing her perspective on Justin's incredible willpower and his fight to survive the first really rough round of severe infections that, we know now, would eventually take his body two years and several hospitalizations later. He never gave up that will to fight.

Not Done Yet: Mom Chronicles Son’s Remarkable Story Of Survival; Golf Tournament To Be Held In His H TheDailyTimes.com, updated by The (Maryville, TN) Daily Times daily with news, sports, records, obituaries, videos, entertainment, classified & retail ads, opinions, and business listings.

12/25/2015

This is Justin's Christmas tree...the one he kept in his room year round, the one we brought to every hospital he stayed in, the one decorated with ornaments from family...he cherished it. He loved the festive feeling it inspired and the memories it held on its limbs. It was a symbol of so much more than a holiday...it reminded him of family and love. May the same festive spirit fill you with love throughout the year. Have a very, Merry Christmas.

08/17/2015

We had a "memory jar" at Justin’s Celebration of Life last year, and we were just reading back through some of them. We never shared them with anyone, so thought we could post just a few here...funny, sweet, and touching...

08/14/2015

“If I had one wish, it wouldn’t be for me. It would be for others to not take life for granted and make the most of every moment.” Justin said that two months before he passed away. We lost him one year ago today, but we will never forget the lasting impression that he made on us...his witty character, his courage, his determination to live adventurously and never look back. Today we do not dwell on the past, but we remember the inspiration he gave us all to carry forward. We miss you and love you, Justin!

02/16/2015

11/27/2014

As the Cochran family gathers for its bi-annual family reunion this year, we are reminded of the precious, short time we have together. lt will be 10 years ago tomorrow that Justin was critically injured at this same reunion. We all miss him tremendously...his incredible spirit had a profound impact on all of us, and we are so thankful for the time that we had with him. From our family to yours, have a safe and blessed holiday with your loved ones...enjoy every minute! Happy Thanksgiving.

10/29/2014

A friend shared a copy of this video clip...quality is a little off, but it shows our conga line at Justin's celebration of life. It was fun! Great idea on Justin's part. ;)

10/26/2014

Going through Justin's apartment today and found this shirt...classic Justin! Too funny. :)

10/22/2014

We are so grateful to everyone who came out to celebrate Justin's life with us. We celebrated the way that Justin wanted...a night of laughter, music, food, dancing, and wonderful storytelling about him. Here are a few pictures that we have collected from the event...let us know if you have more!

10/18/2014

We are very much looking forward to seeing everyone at Justin's Celebration of Life on Saturday evening. He didn't want us to cry, although it will be difficult to hold back all tears. But the memories shared and the company of friends and family will help us do exactly what he wanted: celebrate his time here on Earth and his unique character that made a lasting impact on so many of us. Tomorrow we raise a toast to Justin! :)

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