The Tarver Braddock Foundation

ARTICLE BY GEORGIANN POTTS
PORTRAIT BY KELLY MOORE CLARK

After the loss of their son, Lindsey and Brett Braddock founded The Tarver Braddock Foundation to honor Tarver’s memory and to continue his legacy of random acts of kindness.

There are times when an entire community catches its breath upon hearing truly tragic news. Such was the case one year ago this month when we learned about a tragic fire at a hunting camp in Mississippi that claimed one of our own – Tarver Mickel Braddock, age 16. A junior at Neville High School, Tarver was a beloved young man whose good humor and good heart touched many during his young life. Today, one year later to honor Tarver’s memory and to continue his legacy of random acts of kindness, Stephanie Hay – herself a recipient of one of those random acts from The Tarver Braddock Foundation (tarverbraddockfoundation.org) this past year – and a group of friends are launching a special month-long social media blitz designed to raise awareness of the Foundation’s good work through random acts of kindness that were started shortly after Tarver’s death. We encourage our readers to learn about this very special celebration of TB’s life and to support it if you are able. 

When Lindsey Kay Husted and Brett Tarver Braddock met at Louisiana Tech as freshmen, neither could have imagined what life adventures they would share. Brett was from Shreveport and the eldest of three boys (JD and Ryan are his younger brothers). Their parents are David Braddock and Frances Tarver. Lindsey was the younger of two daughters born to Billy and Debbie Husted. Her sister Holly is two years older.

Brett and Lindsey fell in love and were married in 2003 on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  Their wedding was a private affair, attended only by their siblings and officiated by their minister, Dr. David Uth. Following a honeymoon in Mexico, the two returned to Ruston and began their marriage adventure. 

Welcoming a Daughter
Two years later, the two welcomed their firstborn – a daughter they named Stella Elizabeth. With that birth, the couple realized that they needed to live close to family so that their daughter would be near grandparents and cousins. Soon the entire community became their “second” family. 

Infant Stella had chronic colic for the first 6 months of her life – described by Lindsey as “ . . . a real nightmare.” Brett and Lindsey resorted to wearing earplugs inside their home to deal with the crying and screaming. Fortunately, Stella outgrew this ailment and transformed into a nearly perfect child. Lindsey remembers that Stella never climbed out of her crib. When she moved to a twin bed with rails, Stella would stay there until someone came to get her. “She followed rules and was everyone’s little princess,” Brett says. “She colored in the lines and watched television quietly.” Just two years later, the couple was blessed with their second child, a son.

Along Came Tarver
Tarver was a large infant – 10 pounds – which caused the obstetrician to announce at Tarver’s birth “We have a toddler!” His parents find this ironic because Tarver was slim the rest of his life.

He was also the opposite of Stella. He was a wild child, naturally loud, and unaware of quiet times watching television. From the time he awoke until he went to sleep at night, Tarver was “on go.” “Our son rarely napped, and was a constant talker,” Lindsey remembers. “He didn’t climb out of his crib – he dove! I took him to his pediatrician once because he had so many bruises and bumps on his head. Tarver was the rowdy one, and was born to entertain!”

Tarver grew up to be a joyful young man. His parents describe him as always being the funniest person in the room, with a happy, bouncy walk, and a loud clap – always inappropriately loud – when it was quiet. “He made sure everyone felt important and included,” Lindsey says. “He was a true version of sunshine.” 

Tarver was very similar to his dad in many ways. They could both fix and do just about anything. Tarver was naturally inquisitive and learned new things quickly. Dad and son did projects together during which Tarver learned how things worked. “He was a sponge when it came to knowing things,” Lindsey says, “and he wanted to know everything.” Tarver also learned the gift of giving to others from his father. He would work at The Desiard Street Shelter with his dad, seeing and feeling firsthand the joy that comes from helping others.

Tarver was especially sweet toward his mother and was sensitive to her moods. If she were sad or down, he knew it and would do everything he could to make her smile and laugh. “Tarver was very attentive and affectionate to me,” Lindsey recalls. “There’s something quite special about a love between a mother and her son.”

When Tarver joined his older sister at Neville, he was very popular with the girls. That drove Stella crazy, according to Lindsey. The two shared many of the same friends. As is often the case between siblings, little brother found opportunities to annoy Stella. “Tarver loved to irritate her and imitate her, but he was also very protective of her,” Brett says.

Family Ties
Brett and Lindsey, together with sister Holly and brother-in-law Brian Campbell, created an “extended family” with their children. Brian and Holly had two children, Will and Thomas, of their own and the two couples reared the children as siblings even closer than cousins. Holly and Lindsey’s mother, Debbie, passed away when the children were 4, 3, and the two boys were 1. “They did literally everything together, and each of us adults played different roles in raising them,” Lindsey says.

Both Brian and Holly were very dear to Tarver.  Even though Brian had two sons of his own, he loved to spend time with Tarver one-on-one. Each found in the other a kindred spirit – neither cared all that much what other people thought, and both were just naturally hilarious together. Tarver nicknamed his beloved aunt and second mom “Big Q” because she was known for always asking lots of questions. He loved to imitate her (and was good at it), but the foundation of it all was his deep love for her. “If he couldn’t get his way at home, TB definitely knew where to go – to his sweet ‘pushover’ other mother,” Lindsey remembers.

Cousin Thomas says that a favorite memory of his was when their parents were out of town and he would stay overnight at Tarver’s house. “We would stay up all night long just joking around and laughing at each other,” Thomas remembers.

The cousins enjoyed growing up together, often sharing activities that they loved – hunting, fishing, cooking, and enjoying life with each other and with their friends. The greatest challenge that they and their families would likely ever face awaited them on a cold January night.

An Accidental Fire Changes Everything
January 4, 2024, was just another carefree day for Tarver and 5 of his friends. They were at a hunting camp in Mississippi, looking forward to a productive duck hunt early the following morning.  After midnight, Lindsey texted her son to tell him that she loved him and to remind him that he needed to get to sleep if he were going to get up in a few hours for the hunt. Tarver texted back, “Yes, ma’am. I love you, Momma.”

Brett and Lindsey were abruptly awakened by Holly and Brian telling them that there had been an accident. A fire had started on the camphouse porch where a potbelly stove stood. The fire moved quickly and 5 of the boys jumped out of windows to escape. Several of them had to be rushed to hospitals and one had major injuries. Thomas, Tarver’s best friend and cousin, was one of those injured. Tarver did not survive.

“We choose to believe that Tarver went back inside for his friends to make sure that everyone was OK,” Lindsey says. “That was the kind of person he was – concerned for others and wanting to help. He was the one who could fix everything, made all of the plans, and basically kept the group together. None of us could believe that he was the one who didn’t survive.”

Finding a Way to Honor TB
The events of January 4th and 5th are permanently recorded in Lindsey’s mind. “I can replay every single detail because it rolls through my mind like a constant, never-ending movie reel,” she says. The family credits their friends and community for helping them navigate those terrible first weeks and never-ending months after. “It isn’t easy to walk through this grief. Grief is ugly,” Lindsey says. “We will be forever grateful for our people. God has surrounded us with people to hold us when we feel like we can’t go on. It can only be through the grace of God that any parent survives losing a child.”

It was while the family was writing Tarver’s obituary that they realized that they should create a foundation that would do things that would continue their son’s legacy of goodness. Several friends made The Tarver Braddock Foundation happen. The Foundation’s mission:  to spread love, laughter, and happiness through random acts of kindness – the way Tarver did.

For days and weeks following the accident, the family learned of various acts of kindness that Tarver had done and about which they had known nothing. His parents often laughed that Tarver was almost always out of money; what they didn’t know was that he used it to would buy lunches and snacks for others. They learned that Tarver had even covered a stranger’s ticket at the gas station because she had forgotten her wallet. “Tarver just loved to make people feel good, and make people laugh,” Lindsey remembers.

Lindsey had previously thought about creating a foundation and running it long before the accident. She dreamed of creating one for her nephew, Will Campbell, if his football career took him to the next level. “We had discussed it many times. I hoped to retire, run his foundation, and buy people houses and cars,” Lindsey says with a chuckle. “I think Will probably didn’t know how serious I was. We talked about giving back to your churches, schools, and the community that helped make you who you are. We emphasized using your God-given gifts for good. Before that could dream could play out, Tarver’s death gave us a new path to help others.”

The Tarver Braddock Foundation 
In its first year, TB’s Foundation has helped many organizations – Grace Place, Miracles to Milestones, Young Life of Ouachita Parish, Northeast Louisiana Children’s Museum, The Vine, and MedCamps of Louisiana are a few. Individuals are also recipients of the Foundation’s kindness through scholarships or one of those random acts.

In May 2024 Lindsey saw a post on Facebook about a hearing-impaired senior who had beaten the odds and was graduating from high school in Shreveport. The post was put up by his interpreter and told of the young man’s accomplishments. The interpreter also asked if anyone wanted to donate to the young man to honor him. “I contacted the interpreter through a college friend and we made it happen,” Lindsey said. “He got an apartment and we were able to give him a car in the same day. Absolute shock! We gave him a picture of Tarver, and — as with all the other recipients — we said, ‘May you carry Tarver’s love and happiness with you always’.”

Just this past Thanksgiving holiday, the Foundation declared “A Tarver Kind of Tuesday” and went to four Mac’s Fresh Markets and surprised several people at each one by purchasing their groceries. “It was a random day (not a gift holiday), and that is what made it even better. We left each recipient with a goody bag explaining who we are and how we love to spread Tarver’s sunshine,” Lindsey says.

The young people closest to Tarver all agree that the Foundation is exactly the right way to honor TB. Will calls it a positive step because of the way it can help so many people. “All of the things that it has been able to do — whether big or small like buying groceries or buying a car – the Foundation has made a difference in someone’s life,” Will explains. Thomas agrees. “The Foundation is a positive step that honors Tarver because it brings light to so many people’s lives,” Thomas says. “That’s what the Foundation is doing – bringing light to people’s lives and helping them out.”

For older sister Stella, the loss of her brother is especially deeply felt. She says that losing TB has affected her life in every way. “My whole life was connected with him in it,” she says. “We loved to just be silly, and we had tons of inside jokes – mostly about our parents. I miss everything about him and us. I don’t imagine life will ever be the same, but I’ll do my best to make him proud.”

Those random acts of kindness that the Foundation performs are some of what Tarver’s family lives for and keeps them going. “Getting to bless others through Tarver’s memory is something we are really grateful for. We couldn’t do any of it without the generosity of our donors.”

In January 2025, to celebrate the beginning of the new year and to honor TB’s memory, Stephanie Hay has created a social media campaign that will raise both awareness of the Foundation and funds to continue its work. When Hay heard Lindsey say this fall that the works that the Foundation did in Tarver’s name gave the family a sense of purpose but that the sadness never goes away, Hay realized that it was time for such a campaign. It would help people get to know a remarkable young man better, a year after his tragic death. Perhaps even more important, it would also help fund more of those random acts of kindness that would honor his memory and bring joy to his family.”

Hay says that Psalm 126:5 is the inspiration for this campaign. It reads, “Those who sow in tears will reap with joy.” There have been countless tears during this long year. Now is the time for those tears to be turned to positive actions — just as TB would have wanted.