“Every morning he would come in and say, “Hey, bestie!” when he saw me. We always said we were besties.” teacher Chelsea Carpenter recalls her relationship with student Cade Wegener, “Cade was truly heaven on earth. I have known him for years, and I told pathways staff about him before he ever toured here. He loved coming to pathways.”
Sadly, on June 26, 2023, Cade passed away. On that day, the world lost a young man with a special gift of extraordinary love. He was known all around Tulsa, OK. Cade was a local hero and inspiration for many, but to Pathways students and staff, Cade was a good friend.
He was known for making the best of every situation. Teacher Karen says, “Cade lit up any room he was in instantly. The atmosphere changed when he was in the room,” according to other students, it was impossible to be sad around him. He always did his best to cheer up those around him with jokes.
Cade loved worshiping God. He loved singing along and helping pick songs during worship at Pathways. One of his favorite songs was “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me. He often sang it during the difficult times in his life. Another one of Cade’s favorite things to do was swim. At Pathways during swimming, Cade was free from his wheelchair and able to move about as he pleased.
“Cade was the closest person to Jesus I’ve ever met, said Lori Williamson, Pathways Program Manager. He loved everyone and never said a bad thing about anyone. There were several times Cade would be sick and be unable to come to Pathways, so teachers would Facetime with him. Cade would get so excited to see all his friends.
While we mourn for Cade, we know that we’ll get to see him again one day. His love for God has been rewarded, and we’re thankful that Cade can rest in peace. We’ll continue to pray for the Wegner family as they start a new journey remembering Cade. Cade will always remind us to love others like Jesus loved, be positive, and keep the beat going. Thank you, Lord, for Cade and for allowing us to know him.
“I will miss him every day for the rest of my life. But I know he is with God where he is cancer free, pain-free, and out of his wheelchair.” Chelsea Carpenter.
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I looked for “Cade sightings”…and when I had one, I would jump out of my car to have a few words with him…his smile could lift my spirits. He was truly a special angel on earth, and will be forever remembered and missed. My grandson Josh was very upset that Cade was in the hospital, and would constantly ask me if God would heal him. My answer was that God would either heal him on earth, or that God would heal him in Heaven. Either way, Cade would be healed and no longer in pain. Prayers continue for his family and for the Pathways family. Cade left a legacy of positivity, love, and caring.
My daughter Emily graduated with Cade from Berryhill. When he passed away, she said Caders in the sunsets now. Everytime she sees a sun set she remembers Cade. I thought that was beautiful. Cade radiated love and light. He taught and touched every soul he encountered. I only met him once. But I was close to several people who were close to Cade. And those people lit up when they talked about him. He impacted those around him in his 20 short years with us than most people do who grow old. My daughter will love him and remember him forever in the sunsets.
Sending a big hug and prayers to all the friends at Pathways, especially Cade’s family… I never had the privilege of meeting Cade, but I look forward to meeting him one day in heaven… and with a smile like his, I hope Cade is one of the ones that meets me at the Pearly Gates :-) 💗💖🫶😊🥰Renee Webb