Devante Hilliard would have been amazed to have seen the cars and trucks that stretched out along the highway following him on the last leg of his earthly journey. Even though he had only lived in Hanceville a few years, he had touched many lives. Those who knew him wanted to take that last walk with him through the grassy meadow filled with silent reminders of others who have made the same passage.

Most people who knew him would agree that it was both an honor and a privilege to have been a part of his life — a life fraught with illness and physical limitations — but also full of triumphs and simple pleasures.

Devante was born with mitral valve endocarditis, which basically means that his heart lacked a mitral valve stem, said his aunt and caregiver, Mary Hagler, who was also his legal guardian.

Hagler has raised 12 children Her granddaughter, Jadlynn, suffers from severe asthma, and Devante also had problems with his lungs, in addition to his heart condition.

When Devante was only five weeks old, he underwent the first of several surgeries to try to repair his heart. He had additional surgeries at two months, three years, and again at the age of 10. “He was a fighter,” said Hagler.

In July of 2008, at the age of 15, Devante went to UAB Medical Center for a routine heart catherization and the doctors discovered that he had congestive heart failure. “He died on the table three times during that procedure,” recalled Hagler. “Even though his body was so worn out, they were able to bring him back.”

It was after that episode that Hagler and Devante had a conversation about what could have happened to him, and what might lie ahead if he didn’t receive the heart transplant that his doctors recommended. “I brought up the subject while he was still in the hospital,” she said.”I explained to him that even though nothing indicated that he was in any present danger, we needed to make a decision about what we wanted to do with his organs should the worst happen.”

Devante was frightened when his aunt first mentioned donating his organs, but as she went on to tell him that there were other people waiting for organs with their lives hanging in the balance, he began to think about what it really meant. “I told him that there were other people waiting for organs just like we were waiting for a heart for him,” she said.

Devante improved and showed signs of becoming stronger, so the discussion was not as urgent as it was when Hagler first proposed the idea, although they did agree on the donations if the worst should happened.

The family was living in Forestdale at the time. Later they moved to Gardendale, and then in 2008 they moved to Hanceville. “The Church of Christ in Gardendale found an apartment for us in Hanceville. They were so good to us, they even brought us furniture,” said Hagler. “I had taken early retirement so that I could care for both Devante and Jadlynn, and there wasn’t much money coming in.”

Later the family moved to a house near Hanceville High School. Devante began school, and his life took a turn for the better. He liked school, and by the time he was in the 10th grade, in 2010, he could often be found in the computer lab.

“He wanted to play some sports, but he had to be careful. He played basketball at times, although it was a strain,” said Hagler. “I had to monitor him closely, and he had to learn to monitor himself, too.”

Devante was on medicines of one kind or another his whole life. “Sometimes he was on as many as 10 pills per day, mostly for his heart,” Hagler explained. This may have limited him physically, but he discovered Playstation and spent much of his time playing games and visiting his friends on Facebook.

He also mastered the art of grilling. “He loved to cook and dreamed of becoming a chef,” said Hagler. “His goal was to go to Culinary School at Wallace State.”

“At the end of July, he was looking so much better, all of his test results were good, and the staff at UAB was bragging on how well he was doing,” said Hagler. Devante wanted to return to school, and they had been talking to Hanceville High resource teacher, Jennifer Hogland, just that morning about what they needed to do to get him back in class. 

With no warning, on a hot, Southern day, when the most pressing thing on his mind was a new pair of shoes, Devante became ill and passed away. Hogland was devastated. “I had called Mary and Devante that morning to let them know that he would be able to walk at graduation this spring with his class,” she said. “We talked about his attending classes on campus in the mornings —  if the doctor would agree. I also told them that we would get him some assistance with obtaining his permit and driver’s license. He was very happy with all of these plans. It was important to both of them that he be able to walk at graduation with his class, that’s why I took the time that morning to make the call and let them know my individual education plan for him. I had no idea how important it was at the time, and that I would be making his last day one of his happiest. Mary called me later and told me how much she appreciated me making that phone call when I did.”

“Just that morning he had been asking for another pair of shoes,” remembered Hagler. “I told him that we had just gotten him a new pair of Nike’s but he said he wanted another pair so that he could change them up.” Always neat and tidy, Devante used up many a toothbrush for cleaning his tennis shoes, and was very proud of them. “I buried him in those Nikes,” she said sadly. Even though his life had been precariously close to ending on several occasions, Hagler was taken by surprise at Devante’s death Aug. 17, at the age of 18.

In times when death strikes a family unexpectedly, often the business end of it comes at a time when they are still reeling from the shock of the loss. So it was with Mary Hagler when she got a call from the funeral home about Devante’s arrangements. “I didn’t even have a plot to bury him in, or money to pay for one,” she said. “So the lady at the funeral home was going to arrange for the county to bury him.” As sometimes happens in this unique and caring community, a Good Samaritan stepped forward at just the right moment. A gentleman who had worked with Devante in the homebound program kindly donated one of his plots in the Hanceville City Cemetery. Someone else offered to pay for the opening and closing of the grave. Mary Hagler was overwhelmed with the outpouring of concern and generosity shown to her family, and to Devante’s memory.

“I’d just like to thank the whole community and the high school for how they have helped us during this terrible loss,” said Hagler.

She recently received letters from both the Alabama Eye Bank and the Alabama Organ Center. One of them explained that Devante’s bone tissue would be used to help many people across Alabama who have suffered from traumatic injury, congenital defects, or degenerative diseases. One hundred people can benefit from a single tissue donation, dramatically improving their quality of life. The Alabama Eye Bank confirmed that two people have already had their sight restored thanks to Devante’s gift.

Hagler, still heart-sore over the loss of her nephew, was recently hit with another necessity. “They require a special bronze marker to be placed on his grave,” she said.”I didn’t realize that I would need to do that so soon,” she sighed.

With the first few days of school behind them, some of the teachers, including Jennifer Hogland, decided to collect donations for the bronze marker, which will commemorate the young man who has helped so many to achieve what he couldn’t — a life free from debilitating illness.

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Hanceville High School has set-up the Devante Hilliard Memorial Fund in order to purchase a grave marker. Checks should be sent/made payable to Hanceville High School DHMF, 801 Commercial Street SE, Hanceville, AL 35077