Brandon Roat

Brandon Roat, age 25, left this world on February 14th in Miami, FL, after an accidental overdose. Brandon fought bravely through an 8-year battle with addiction. If only his love for life had equaled his love for himself, he would still be here with us, where he should be. His passion for nature and being one with the earth, whether exploring a forest or knee deep in powder on a mountainside, was unparalleled. He was a true friend to many and enjoyed music festivals, skateboarding, biking, the Canandaigua Sportsmen's Club, his dogs and creating things with his hands. His disease had a powerful grip on him, however, and because the lies the drugs told him were so much more powerful than the love that surrounded him, he struggled to recognize the worth of his own light in this world. If being loved had been enough to overcome addiction, Brandon would have been a different man. He was truly loved by all. His humor and his devilish smile were his charms. His intelligence could have taken him far in life and surely helped him to find the loopholes along the way. Addiction, coupled with a troubled spirit, stole our precious son from our arms and changed him into a person we often did not recognize. The false and fleeting comfort that he found with drugs was minuscule compared to the love from his family and friends, but it was not enough to save him. Only he could have saved himself. Although he so desperately wanted a life free from turmoil, he could never find a way to embrace his own happiness. It is our hope that Brandon's story will inspire at least one other person to make the changes necessary to overcome addiction. We are sharing our pain so that others may avoid the heartache we feel. Brandon leaves behind a loving Mother and Step-father Connie and Peter Sorman (Chesterfield, VA), a devoted Father, Stephen Roat (Winter Haven, FL), his sisters, Brianna Roat and Alexa Sorman, his brother Jesse Sorman, step-sister Audra Beth Sorman, step-brother, Lee Sorman, his maternal grandparents: Paul Brisson, Lisa Brisson, Kristina Hoffman, William F. Hoffman (Susie) and many Uncles, Aunts, and cousins. Memorial services are planned for family and friends respectfully in Port St. Lucie and Winter Haven, FL. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) in memory of www.NAMI.org/donate or by calling1-888-999-NAMI (6264) or to Children's Tumor Foundation the Jesse Sorman Family Fund in memory of Brandon Roat via the donate now link: http://www.ctf.org/donate or mail to: 120 Wall Street, 16th Floor New York NY 10005 Attention: Jesse Sorman Family Fund.