The following was written by Drew’s sister, Jamie.

Drew Sobotka wanted the world to be a better place. He wanted so badly to fix things at a global scale, but I hope he realized the impact he had on the ones close to him during his lifetime were just as important. Drew always put others first. He was always looking for ways to make people happy or to teach them something new. Whether it was giving a gift, or showing someone a new hobby, he always knew how to make life more interesting and to brighten someone's day. 

From cooking things like homemade pasta, making fresh watermelon juice and cornbread for Grandma Lynn, brewing the perfect batch of beer, to creating and maintaining a self-sufficient aquarium, there was never an interest he found that he didn't seem to master. There’s even two of his beehives sitting on Grandpa Howard's farm in Iowa that made 13 gallons of honey this year for friends and family. 

We love remembering the high points of Drew's life. When we got to see him smile and laugh and when he got excited to learn or teach us something new. But we need to also remember the low points. Drew struggled with depression and severe anxiety. He suffered panic attacks and brain zaps and his anxiety became bad enough that he wouldn't want to leave the house. Drew’s mental illness prevented his self confidence in a lot of areas and prevented him from being able to see how truly amazing of a man he became in his young 29 years. He deserved so much more out of life that was stolen from him by a dark disease. 

I will always regret not being more informed and working harder to understand what Drew was going through for so many years. I believe the world has a long way to go both in research and in disseminating information about mental health. My family specifically chose The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation because 100% of every dollar donated goes towards grants for researching mental illness. The foundation’s mission is to alleviate the suffering caused by mental illness through funding grants for scientific research that will hopefully lead to advances and breakthroughs. 

Photo Gallery: https://inmemoryofdrewsobotka.wordpress.com/

Through donating in memory of Drew, you are helping him make the world a better place. 

·       Learn more about the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.