TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Life is moving slower for the Boehme family.
"I feel like the days carry on and everything's going-- I feel like I'm going in slow motion,” said Aaron Boehme, Adam’s brother.
“You gotta tell your family every day you love them, and I'm glad I got to tell him that morning,” said Cindy Boehme, Adam’s mom.
Adam Boehme died after a bicycle crash on July 26th. He was hit by a truck while riding against traffic. He was only 17-years-old.
“I just broke down and was crying and it was really a hard day for me and my family because we were finally together and now he's gone,” said Aaron.
The two brothers were separated for years while in the foster care system.
Adam and Aaron’s father had died by suicide when they were 6 and 5-years-old. Their biological mom left after Adam was born.
“We were put into separate homes,” said Aaron.
“I thought a lot about an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old being separated,” said Cindy Boehme.
After being separated for four years, Cindy and Tony Boehme adopted Adam in 2014 and Aaron in 2015, and reunited the boys.
“I just couldn't imagine these two little boys apart,” Cindy Boehme said. “I knew he'd been to so many places and nothing was working out. I just saw in him that he needed structure and love. I knew I could help him,” Cindy added.
Adam and Aaron were recognized by the Coalition on Adoption Institute earning a congressional honor for their story.
"It was awesome knowing that me and Adam were in the same house, and we weren't ever getting separated again and so we were just so happy together,” said Aaron.
The brothers were so close in age and would do everything together from working at the same place, to sports and skating—one of Adam’s favorite activities.
"I’d ask him, what would you like to do? You want to go bowling? And it was always skating, skating, skating. So, we would do that. But that was always his fun thing,” said Adam’s stepmom, Jennifer Cook.
“Everywhere I went, people asked if they were twins, and then people would tell me how much Adam looked like me,” said Cindy Boehme.
Cindy and Tony Boehme continued to add on to the Boehme bunch and adopted five more kids which added on to the six kids they had already. They plan on adopting more children.
All of Adam’s siblings describe him as energetic, kind, goofy and always moving around.
“We were going to go to NAU together and get an apartment or something. I told my mom I'd watch him,” said Jojo, Adam’s sister.
“He would always tell like dad jokes and they were just funny to him,” said Aaron.
“He used to dance a lot. He used to do like, funny dances and sing,” said Ruth, Adam’s sister.
And if you’re wondering if he was a good dancer...
“No. But it would be funny that he wasn't," said Ruth.
Adam kicked for Sahuaro High School’s football team, but also spent a lot of time running—both cross country and track. He had hopes to run in college.
"Adam really taught me a lot. He always wanted to jump in and help people, even if it meant slowing down his run," said Marley Gandee, Adam’s teammate.
“He'd be out at the meet like I'm ready, coach, I'm ready, coach, I'm ready, coach. That excitement to be the best he could was one of my favorite parts about him,” said Melissa Slade, Adam’s Cross Country and Track coach.
Because of his excitement and positive attitude, Adam was one of the students that was selected to represent Sahuaro High School at a leadership conference.
"He was such a cheerleader for everybody else and he really showed that leadership,” said Slade.
He was also a leader in selling the most fundraising cards for his football team.
“Every year. I would never sell more than him,” said Aaron. “It was fun selling them for Adam this year. I ended up selling 104 of them,” he added.
Living for their brother, all of Adam’s siblings want to continue his legacy of a go-getter attitude and kindness, wanting to exhibit what #LLA really means.
"Live like Adam, Love like Adam,” said Aaron.
"I use him to help me push through things. If I'm like getting really tired of running and I want to walk I just tell myself like to keep going and to not stop and to finish the race like Adam did,” said Cassandra, Adam’s sister.
Aaron had quit football but later rejoined the team to kick in his brother’s place.
"I finally decided just to kick because he was good at it. I decided I should get good at it for him,” said Aaron.
On the track, his teammates put out a pair of his running shoes at the end of every race.
"All of our meets, we've borrowed a pair of shoes from his mom, and they sit on the finish line so he's there with us when we finish,” said Slade.
"His desire to be a good person and to be a good athlete and a good student definitely impacted all of us. And I know he made me a better coach,” Slade added.
Touching the lives of everyone he met, Adam’s confidence was gained from the eight years he was with the Boehme family.
"He was so angry when he first moved here, and he wasn't when he left this earth,” said Cindy Boehme.
On his last days on earth, his parents said he could do anything.
"There was nothing he couldn't do. It's just sad that he's gone. I wish I would have been able to see what he was going to do,” said Cindy Boehme.
“We changed him, but he changed us too. It's very humbling and was an honor to be his parents,” said Cindy and Tony Boehme.
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Faith Abercrombie is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before coming to KGUN, Faith worked as a videographer for the Phoenix Children's Hospital Foundation and as a reporter and producer on the youth suicide documentary, "Life is..." on Arizona PBS.
Share your story ideas with Faith by emailing faith.abercrombie@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
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