Vigil Planned For Oak Park Teen Who Died Of Asthma Attack

OAK PARK, IL — Oak Park-River Forest student Andrew Johnson-Cheeks, known to his friends and family as Drew, died on July 22 after a severe asthma attack. The community will hold a vigil on Friday, July 27, to honor the life of the bright-eyed 15-year-old, who loved basketball and making friends.

Aisha Coleman, whose son was friends with Drew, told Patch he "was the kid that all parents wanted their kids to be friends with." Affectionately calling him her "sweet bonus son," Coleman said, "Andrew made all of [his] friends feel like they were his best friend. I don’t think he realized it but he had this unique ability to make everybody feel special."

The young boy was special in his own right, Coleman added, possessing a warmth and kindness that seemed to radiate well beyond his years. "If you asked anybody to tell you one thing you know about Drew, I believe everyone would say the same exact thing: Andrew was kind young man."

The vigil will be held at 6 p.m. in Scoville Park, 800 Lake St., where friends, family, and community members will gather to celebrate a life cut short all too soon.

To celebrate Andrew's radiant smile and irrepressible positivity, which will most assuredly live on. As Aisha Coleman said, "He was a light that never went out. "

Image via Suburban Unity Alliance