The Mullet family, from Pisgah Forest, North Carolina, are an inspirational group of people dedicated to spiritually guiding people through their pain— and if anyone knows a lot about pain, it’s definitely them.
Back in 1993, Duane and Cindy Mullet had their very first child— a baby boy named Austin Trent.
Right from the beginning, Austin proved he was a fighter, undergoing and surviving a heart transplant at only 8-years-old. The couple continued adding to their family, having four little girls after Austin. Although the parents loved Briana, Alisha, Chantara, and Kyra — as their only boy and first-born, Austin held an important spot in their heart.
After Austin’s first heart transplant, the young boy’s health issues did not stop. At age 5, he was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma, followed by Squamous Cell Carcinoma at age 6. Both are rare and aggressive forms of cancer— but somehow, Austin managed to conquer it all.
At age 16, Austin once again experienced health problems, having to undergo a 2nd heart transplant. Although the procedure initially went well, a month later he came down with a severe bacterial infection which ultimately took his life.
On The Mullet Family website, Cindy, Austin’s mother writes, “From the moments after [Austin’s] birth and throughout his almost seventeen years of life, we have seen how every precious day was a gift from God.”
“Austin’s life was filled with many physical battles, but he conquered each one with an optimistic outlook and a zeal and enjoyment of life that few people ever experience.”
“Although we will always miss Austin’s lively presence in our home, we are grateful that he is eternally set free from all the physical pain.”
The Mullet family, having long served with the Gospel Express prison ministry, are used to managing their pain through song.
Following Austin’s death, his little sister Kyra, 7, decided to honor her big brother’s memory in a very special way.
In a video which has been viewed over 39,000 times, Kyra sings “I Can Only Imagine“ by the Christian rock band MercyMe.
As the music video begins you see Kyra walking through a graveyard with her father in a white, lacy dress. Soon, brother’s headstone comes into view.
“I can only imagine what it will be like
When I walk by your side…”
As mentioned, the song was originally performed by MercyMe and was written by the band’s vocalist Bart Millard, after the passing of his father.
In an interview with Fox News, Millard explained the significance of the title, saying, “Saying the questions in the song came from me asking God what was so great about him that my dad would rather be there.”
Kyra’s performance is more innocent than Millar’s interpretation, with the little girl running through fields and sitting in a church…
Singing about how she can “only imagine” how wonderful it will be when she is finally reunited with her brother in Heaven.
This video is incredibly moving. The combination of a childlike innocence discussing heavy topics like death makes for an incredibly emotional experience.
In one scene, little Kyra is running through a field into her big brother’s arms. In another, she sits drawing pictures of stick figures in Heaven, labeled as “Jesus”, “Austin”, and “Me”.
As mentioned, Kyra’s tribute to Austin has been viewed more than 39,000 times. It’s an incredibly touching experience, and people’s emotional responses are clear in the comments:
“Excellent!!…In Christ we can be thankful in all circumstances, knowing that God is sovereign over all things.”
“Love this song so much! you all did a great job on this!”
“Love your music videos. This one especially. We lost our newborn 4 years ago. Our daughters keep asking when we can get the DVD.”
See it for yourself below!
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