Wood began to realize how they could use the funds to create a legacy as well. <\/a>One of her goals is to make sure people never forget who he is.<\/p>\n\u201cHe was kind of the little therapist of his friends, and so my first thought was that we would do the memorial bench because I want his friends to have a place to come and sit and talk to him,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
To make sure those at his high school continue to remember him, Wood wants to create a bursary with the money from the GoFundMe so that each year at graduation, his name will be said out loud and his story will be told. Details of what this will look like are still in the works, but Wood said that if they donate a certain amount, it will be an ongoing bursary for years to come.<\/p>\n
Liam took a shop class since Grade 9 and quickly excelled. He\u2019s always been a bit of a mechanic \u2014 it was one of his first jobs \u2014 and adored his teacher and the atmosphere of the class, Wood said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey used to go at lunch and spend time with this teacher, and all his friends would kind of gather there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Wood hopes that if they fundraise enough, she\u2019ll be able to donate a piece of equipment in Liam\u2019s honour, making sure something he cared deeply about is also impacted by the donations.<\/p>\n
Wild and fun but emotionally intelligent and insightful <\/p>\n
The grief for Wood, her husband Alexxi Cini and Liam\u2019s younger brother can be overwhelming at times. Not only was the 17-year-old beloved by his classmates, but he also always kept things interesting around the home.<\/p>\n
Wood says that when he was a child, she could not believe the emotional maturity Liam had.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was the kind of kid who would notice other people\u2019s emotions and we would have really deep conversations talking about life, love, friendship and war,\u201d she explained. \u201cHe would ask very deep questions when he was very, very young.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course, being his mother, Wood always knew how special of a kid Liam was, but others noticed too. When she was out buying a stroller for her children, the salesperson came by to tell Wood about the interaction they had with Liam.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s like, \u201cYeah, I was having a conversation with him and the things that he says are just so insightful.\u2019 And he was three,\u201d Wood smiled. <\/p>\n
This sort of compassionate, caring soul carried into his teen years. Wood learned from his close friends and classmates that Liam had a way with everyone. He would reach out and support other students going through a hard time, make sure people could see the other side of an argument if they were mad at one another and lend a helping hand to friends. <\/p>\n
He would walk down the halls at his high school and everyone knew his name.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody loved Liam,\u201d Wood said. So much so that it became a catchphrase in their home.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe would get away with everything. Be late for a class, the teacher wouldn\u2019t care \u2014 everybody loves Liam. Go to an interview, get the job on the spot: everybody loves Liam. Meet the girlfriend\u2019s parents, they fall in love with him \u2014 of course they do \u2014 everybody loves Liam.\u201d<\/p>\n
He lived his life to the fullest, filling his days with friends, his pets and dirt biking. He loved nothing more than things with wheels, whether he was riding them or fixing them, Wood said.<\/p>\n
Before his death, Liam was living his best life, his mom said. He had just gotten his dream job, had great friends, was outside as much as he could be and had just finished the school year.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people would focus on that and say, \u2018Well, how tragic it was that it was coming together\u2019 but from our viewpoint we\u2019re just so grateful that his last six days were so joyful. You don\u2019t want anything else for your kid except happiness. And he had that. So, you know, even though it\u2019s sad that he didn\u2019t get more of it.<\/p>\n
He left with a bang.\u201d<\/p>\n
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