High schoolers step in for new school year photo after friend's death
A group of Arkansas high schoolers recently surprised a young girl, taking a first-day-of-school photo with her and continuing a tradition she shared previously with her late older brother.
Ashley Curtwright, mom of 9-year-old Nora and her late brother Brady, told ABC News the act of kindness touched her and her family deeply.
"I actually never really knew the true definition of community or village, but I have definitely been shown by this town and these kids what that means," the Manila, Arkansas, resident said. "They provided such a light on what could have been a dark, dark day. They brought joy to us."
According to Curtwright, Brady and his friends had gone out on a Friday night last December when they were involved in a serious car accident, in which another driver collided head-on with their vehicle.
"They had performed CPR on the scene and were able to revive [Brady], but … too much time had passed, and his brain had been without oxygen for so long," Curtwright recalled.
The mom of two said Brady died on Dec. 7, 2025, at the age of 14, after two days in the hospital.
"He was an extraordinary friend. He loved his family. He was a musician, a worshiper, a ball player," Curtwright said of her late son, who she said had a close bond with his sister Nora.
Since then, the Curtwright family has had to face many firsts without Brady, including a new school year without their oldest son and brother.
"I knew school was approaching, and so I asked her, 'Nora, are you ready for school?' And she said, 'No, mom,'" Curtwright recalled of a recent conversation with her daughter. "And she said, 'On the first day, who's going to be there to take my picture with me?' And it really kind of caught me off guard."
When Brady's best friend, Gabe Gonzales, heard about Nora's question, he didn’t hesitate to volunteer to take the photo with her. The 15-year-old also put a call out to his and Brady's close friends, and many of them joined in.
"As we exited those doors, you could see all those boys standing there waiting for her, and [Nora] was just ecstatic, so excited," Curtwright said. "Just to see them all there in honor of Brady, showing up for his sister, it's beyond words."
Curtwright took the group photo that day and shared it with ABC News, with Nora surrounded by 12 of her late brother's friends.
"I didn't just see those 12 boys and Nora standing there. I saw Brady," Curtwright said of the photo. "He loved those boys so much that they're giving us that love back."
Gabe told ABC News it won't be the last time he and his friends show up for Brady's family.
"That photo will be special, and there's going to be more photos like that coming," the 10th grader said.
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