That question might, on the surface, seem easily answered in contemporary society. In a time when fame, fortune and instant notoriety are frivolously stumbled upon and all around us, the universe very wisely delivers the antidote to the viral epidemic of pretentiousness - an old soul sent to reveal the truth.

August Koontz was extraordinary. He was extraordinary in a totally selfless way. Though he had every capacity to achieve the fame, fortune, and the notoriety that the contemporary world would afford him, he operated on a different plane. He was not without his own shortcomings, yet somehow he learned to confront them head on and still find the time to listen, really listen to the stories recounted to him in confidence.

What was it about August that inspired so much trust, so much sheer vulnerability from others? August was special, not because he knew he was, but because, though you may not have felt so, he knew that you were, and he made you feel it. It was an incredible gift that he never seemed too self absorbed or too busy to share.

When he passed away in October 2008, the outpouring of emotion was incredible. It was not unlike the flood of emotions and memories, not to mention the shock that always accompanies the passing of someone, particularly with an untimely passing. Uncommon in August's case was the intense physical and spiritual phenomena that flowed like an electric charge throughout the community. It became clear just how much of an influence this young man had on those around him. Some hung on his every word, others just wanted to be in his presence and feed off of his energy. Most importantly, others relied on and quickly realized they would sorely miss his tendency towards compassion, understanding, and a completely uncomplicated offering of his cheerful disposition.

The Koontz family received piles of letters from various friends, teachers, and others who crossed August's path. The testimonies, which all, in one way or another, spoke to the tremendous impact he had, were as refreshing and comforting as they were heart-wrenching. One thing was certain, August caused countless others to stretch the limits of their own fortitude and sensibility as they struggled to comprehend and cope with his passing. "He (August) has left an impression on me that I will never forget. I have never met someone so empathetic and ready to listen...the charisma he possessed and the outgoing, optimistic way he looked at life inspired everyone who came into contact with him...I don't know what it is in him that is different, but there is something extraordinary there." These comments alone are just a snapshot of one letter. When it would come to August there could be a book filled with these sentiments. One beautiful letter alluded to "his charming personality, his inquisitive mind, and that cheerful grin." Oh, the grin. This was one characteristic of August's that made him, as this last letter writer so eloquently stated, "...unforgettable."

August was also a gifted writer. Perhaps it was his inquisitiveness that stimulated his writing. He demonstrated a very healthy level of introspection that trickled onto both school essays and into the social networking pages. Most found it refreshing and wanted to emulate his ability to fearlessly publish the musing of his often whimsical mind. One minute he could lay down a fiercely insightful hip-hop lyric, punctuated with the requisite profanity and the next minute he could bring you to tears when he let his tender heart fall onto the keyboard with the mellifluous ease of a canonical poet.

True to his presence of his time here on earth, August's passing did not go unnoticed. Unfortunately, because of his age, the curious and untimely passing of two other high school kids occurring in the same week, and finally, the prominence his family had within the community, the rumors began to choke the atmosphere. Careless and hurtful things were posted on the Internet and whispered in the shadows. Was it drugs? Was this just another lonely rich kid sending a final, desperate message? None of it was true. Those closest to August were indignant, but they believed in him more than the gratuitous rumors. There had to be some explanation. "Children just do not die in their sleep," his mother Dore' would exclaim. Dore', like everyone else was looking for answers, not simply to squash the rumors, but to grasp some semblance of a reason she and the family would have to endure that pain. She also thought of August's siblings Conoly and Shell, and the numerous friends he left behind. They should feel at peace with what they knew in their hearts and not have to muddle through the sadness of August's memory being tarnished by distorted facts.

If there was any solace, it was what, in retrospect for Dore', was a beautiful final night with her boy. Earlier in the day Dore' had taken Conoly to the Fall Family Fair and later they all visited with Dore' at the Koontz house. After his friends left, he helped his mom clean up. Just after midnight, Dore' warmly hugged and kissed August for the last time.

In the time since his passing, Dore' has looked back at her son's life and has been affected by it in a remarkably poised and hopeful way. Those who knew August knew he marched to the beat of his own drum, often times to the dismay of his parents, school administrators, and the rest of the normal social order. She, like any parent trying to raise their children the best they know how, tried to hold on as tight as she could without overdoing it. She would often pop in on him to make sure he was doing his schoolwork and she would find him on "that darn Facebook or wrestling with Conoly." A few weeks before he passed away she found out that he was sneaking away to Borders while he was grounded to do something far more important in his mind, visiting with a good friend from out of town. He was always doing something like that to keep Dore' and his father Bart on their toes.

What Dore' was able to see in the weeks and months after his passing was what all of the others who wanted a piece of August saw, his unique ability to dwell in the hollows of their hearts and bring them to life. Dore' can now say that she was glad he was doing all of this and "not doing what I wanted... Although every piece of me misses him so bad, I have such peace about where he is and who he was. He lived exactly the life he should have if he were to be here for only 18 years... His priorities were his relationships with his family and friends. I am so proud of his character and his compassion for others."

Sometime later, the family received a report from the medical examiner's office that would release the dull ache residing in the pit of everyone's stomach. The toxicology report stated what his loved ones believed to be true- August was drug free. He had died of complications related to a common heart condition that is responsible for 40-45 percent of all sudden cardiac deaths in young children. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy causes an abnormal thickening of the heart muscle.

This information, while bringing some closure, also unlocked and brought awareness to a movement aimed at lowering the risk of sudden cardiac death, particularly in young athletes like August. An echocardiogram will accurately diagnose roughly 90 percent of those with HCM. With the help of a local cardiologist Dr. Eli Whitney and others in the media, a video will be produced for distribution into the schools and other settings describing the facts surrounding HCM, its causes, effects, prevention, and possible treatments.

In a chance twist of fate, a part of August's legacy, in a way, will parallel his very nature. August very deftly dealt with and listened to the inimitable idiosyncrasies of a friend or loved one's heart at just the right moment, as only he could. His passing will make others pause, even if just for a moment, to allow physicians to listen just as skillfully and, with any good fortune, not let another young heart creep away unnoticed.

August Koontz was the antidote. To everyone he met he arrived just in time. And though he departed all too soon, his mark was left. To have woven such a strong and altogether beautiful tapestry of relationships in a very short eighteen years is extraordinary. Blazing a trail through the universe like the one he did must have been either truly exhilarating or thoroughly exhausting. One might wonder if August ever had enough time to stop and really listen to his own heart.

In his college application essay to TCU, August wrote about his time at a wilderness camp in northern California. At the time, he was not sure if he was fitting in or if his time at the camp was worthwhile, but he wrote about one night that caused a bit of a shift in his life. Despite all outward appearances and the high regard in which all of peers had always held him, he struggled with his own personal identity crisis. In the forest thousands of miles away from everything familiar, it was not the vast wilderness that caused him to feel lost, it was this chimera of isolation that allowed him to more clearly look inside, which made him feel lost.

He felt that he had "spent years confined to a prison of denial, self-deception, and naïve optimism, hiding my insecurities behind a smiling face." Strangely enough, his epiphany did not come from the place he knew best, which was in open, meaningful conversation with others. Being the extraordinary old soul that he was, he did something that many people fail to realize their entire lives, even if they grow very old. He went on to explain in his essay, "Talking can only get a person so far; the hardest step to overcome for me was self-reflecting in solitude. Sitting on a sleeping pad with a cup of warm chamomile tea realizing that you've done nothing to better your life is a pretty harsh wake-up call." This moment caused him to feel empowered. With the beautiful symphony of nature behind him, out there beneath the stars, most likely inhaling deep healing gasps of fresh air he mentioned crying out of joy for the first time in his life. He would conclude his essay by proclaiming that, "what I experienced in those mountains brought my identity back to life."

When he was 14 his grandmother Maryland Ruby died. Mimi, as she was known was very close to August. At her funeral August eulogized his grandmother. He asked the people "not to become heartbroken and say goodbye, but to remember the good times...for that is what matters most." He spoke about a trip to Disneyland he and Mimi took when he was about 4 years old. In his closing, already a master of prose at age 14, he wrote, "every night we would watch the fireworks together under the red and green sparks. She would ride the rides with me and would take me anywhere in the park I wanted to go. And every night we would eat a huge rice krispie treat square together... just the two of us in a strange world. But together we were in our own little piece of Heaven."

How will August Koontz be remembered? Ask anyone who knew him and they most assuredly will get that enchanted look in their eyes and, whether or not they are a capable storyteller, will rise to the occasion and spin a very rich yarn. Though I was fascinated and charmed by August every time we spoke, undeniably his domain, it is his lesson in the wilderness that will resonate with me for rest of my life I hope. Every time I sit down in solitude with a cup of warm chamomile tea, journeying to the center of my soul, through tears of joy, I will remember and be grateful for this extraordinary young man.

Special thanks to Dr. Edwin "Eli" Whitney at the Heart & Vascular Institute of Texas for his contributions to this article. To learn more about Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) and the noninvasive, affordable, and simple screening available visit: http://championhearts.com

In May 2009, August was posthumously awarded his high school diploma from Central Catholic Marianist High School. The Class of 2009 misses him dearly. As an alumnus of Central Catholic myself and the father of one of August's classmates, we are honored to declare that he remains very much a part of the sacred and distinguished Central Catholic brotherhood. To see the listing for the August Koontz CCHS '09 Memorial Scholarship visit: http://www.cchs-satx.org/vnews/display.v/ART/483dcad701d8b?in_archive=1