This memorial website was created in the memory of my son, Austin
Cole Gillentine-Bruckner who was born in Medford Oregon on October 09, 1994 on sunday at 6:47 am. He was 8 pounds 1 ounce 21 inches long. The doctors gave him a perfect 10. Austin passed away In Redding California on January 22, 2007 at the age of 12. We will love him always and he will remain in our hearts forever.

Austin cole was full of life, he loved  to make others laugh, Always fought for the underdog, loved to help smaller children and love to help and fight for animal rights and saving them. He had a pet rabbit. that was potty trained like a cat, and loved to sleep with austin. He had three dogs, two cats and a chicken that showed up one day. I couldnt figure out where he came from our why he stayed around, untill I found out austin was leaving food for him out every night. He loved the life of every animals and did all he could to give them hope and life. 

 He was an Honor roll student, Achevieved Presidential Fitness Award. He Loved football, basketball, and baseball. He played for the Anderson Wildcats. And the Pacheco Jaguars. He was a stand out athlete. He also did 4 years of gymnastics and He and I were currently taking  Tae kwon Doe classes together. 

Austin love to collect action figures. He started collecting when he was four years old. His room was surrounded by action figurers that have never been open. They covered his walls. He loved Biuld legos and Bionicles. When he built something, It stayed forever. he never broke them up. They just became apart of his colection.

I was always a single mother always just the two of us. so my life was pretty much wrapped up around him.  Austin loved to play as did his mom. Life was always moving and not a single moment was ever a left untouched. The world was ours. We owned it. He is amazing kid with alot of heart. Austin had two girlsfriends in his life and he loved and treasured them dearly. Shaun and Whitley. He had a world of  best friends.. Austin also loved building projects, and drawing. His favorite books were Eragon, Eldest and Chonicles of Narnia.
He was very into collecting, Dragons, swords and Knights. He was really looking forward to the next Harry Potter movie and the movie "Bridge to Terabithia." He wanted the book bridge to terabithia, and the third sequel to Eragon, but they had not been released yet. he was currently reading the chonicals of narnia series.
I think some of the favorite thiings we did together was that which didnt cost money. Like playing fooball untill we coudnt move. Or basebal untill my arm was to sore, going bikeriding all over town , sword fighting with wooden swords. snuggleing him to sleep every night, while he would read to me..

Another  favorite was hiding from him in  the corn rows and making him and chris find me. I would throw corn  at them to get there attention and then run. We had a base picked in the center of the corn rows that was considered safe. i didnt often make it there. They would tackel me and tickle until i called it truse..
 Austin also had this obsesion with swords, him and his cousin R.J For years the would watch the old highlander series, they would slow mode the fight seens over and over again until they had them down pat. They would add there gymnastics skills and would go a full speed with the woodend swords.there teacher thought they were so go they had austin and R.J .(his cousin),start a sword training class, to teach the other kids. . They made an outstanding vidio of one of there sword fights with lighting electric power noices and the whole bit. It was great and made them feel pretty proud..People were amazed when they would watch  the boys and would always ask,  were did they train? and we would just say, a little gymnastics and watching alot of highlander movies..

And what I think I love the most is that austin loved to snuggle. He loved to be held and cuddled. Ever night he would  read to me for 30 minutes. Then he always con  me into giving him a back scratch, Then he would fall asleep. Sometimes i would pretend to read to him in chinese. He loved it when i did that. He would giggle untill his stomach hurt. Thats what I miss the most. i miss loving him., I miss his laugh, his smile, his touch, his giggle. Oh how I miss that giggle.

Please click the above link, to read his legacy, if you wish to learn more about his life.

I lost my son on Jan 22, 2007 to the choking game. Curently known around this area as Space Monkey. This is a game mostly played by high achieving, well liked,smart,and athletic type. They think of it as safe and legle, not realizing the perment consequences or outcome of this so called game.
Its achieved by makeing a noose out of shoestrings, ropes, or belts. its then tightens around ones neck for about 7 seconds or untill they pass out. 
The pressure on the arteries is then released and as blood flow to the brain resumes, they achieve a brief high or euphoric state. Playing this game in any form causes permanent and cumulative death of large number of brain cells. Every year 500 to 1000 children are found dead as a direct result of this game. 
My son learned this game when he was only ten years old from an older child on the school bus. He was taught how to make a slip not with a noose useing his shoestrings, but soon moved up into useing belts and ropes. It is addicting and kids will do it at a time when they feel stressed. It has a simular effect as smoking.  

One time when he spent the night at his grandparents house, My dads shoestrings went missing from his combat boots. He found them in the garage tied together to make a long rope with a slip knot and a noose on the bottom. They found hidden under the cusions of the couch he would sleep on. A small rope with a noose and a slip not tied to the bottom. Austin had a permanet rope tied to the shower rod. with a slip knot and a noose on the bottom. It was there for about a year, He told me he was using it to play with his action figures. He also had one tied to his curtain rod just above his bed. Again I thought he was using it for his action figures. I was always finding shoestrings and belts tied to odd places. I thought, just a Boy thing.

 Austin was also started having difficulty understanding things that had never been a problem before. A result of destroying brain cells. He complained of very severe headaches. I was going to schedule and MRI , before I allowed him to play football this year because he complained that they were really bad.
He also got raspy breathing. And started having difficulty breathing when he would run. I took him to the docter and they just gave him and inhaler assuming it must be asma..

Parents have no idea that thier children may be playing this game. Children think of it as risky but not deadly.  In a 2006 poll taken between 5th-12th graders 53% of the boys admitted to playing it, of those 86% play it twice a week.The single best weapon against this activity is Information! Please go to www.TheDbfoundation.com and sign the petition that will require education of the dangers of this game in our schools. this petition will require D.A.R.E. to incorporate Asphyxia activity into thier cirricula- show D.A.R.E we insist on keeping our children safe. Had I of been aware, I would have saw the signes and I could have saved my sons life. 

Signs include
1) Inexplicable marks or bruises in the throat
2) Frequent severe headaches
3) Belts, leashes, ropes, shoestrings found in odd or unusual locations.
4) Disorientation after spending time alone.
5) Locked bedroom doors. 

I think the two most important that are easily more noticable is the frequent sever headaches, the belts and rope and shoestring always found tied to something and raspy breathing. Those were the most noticable sighns If you know what to look for. I was just starting to question him about the belts..not soon enough though.

Many deaths attributed to suicide by adolescents are actually self-asphyxiations and death is an unintended outcome. Please visit the link and sign the petition. Please help us in our fight to Educate and Save the live of our children. thanks to all of you who have taken the time to read this and light a candle. Every little thing helps. i love you all..