Spreading joy – a young man’s journey

Did you ever meet someone that you wish you had known for a long time? Just one of those giant personalities that resonates warmth, a deep, rich belly laugh with a smile that CREST would be proud to feature in any advertisement. And a life story that defies the odds.Tyrone Augustus works at the Block Island Grocery, and he leaves on Tuesday. He is Block Island’s loss.An imposing man in top physical condition with a great beard, Augustus has been on the island via a J1 visa for the summer. His home is Jamaica where he will return, albeit slowly after visiting his aunt in New York, who will pick him up in Galilee, and perhaps his siblings and dad in Philadelphia. A dad he did not meet until he was 14.The oldest in the family, Augustus’s story is one of nothing else but perseverance, accompanied by a beaming smile. It wasn’t always that way, as he recounts battling suicidal thoughts and severe depression in his earlyteenage years. And as he gets set to leave Block Island he is so happy, so genuinely happy that he fought through those months and “found this place of joy. A place

Read the rest of the article on the Block Island Times