Addam Christopher Medina

From a young age, Addam displayed tremendous artistic talent and creativity. Throughout his early school years, he won numerous art awards and contests, including one for his Des Moines Symphony poster design.

With seemingly little effort or formal training, Addam learned to play guitar, drums, and keyboard, along with other instruments. Addam enjoyed a wide range of musical influences, and playing with a diverse group of musicians. This included jamming with his father's uncle Joe Negrete and Joe's friends who gathered each December 23 to play music.

Addam wrote, sang, and recorded "Mountain," a song inspired during his hospital treatment for drug addiction.

On Friday, September 2, 2005, on his way home after playing music with friends in Waukee, Addam died in a single-car accident. Just weeks earlier, Addam had traveled to the New Melleray Abbey with his Papa Richardson. During this spiritual retreat, he wrote the poem that scrolls next to the illustration of Addam at left.

At the time of his death, Addam was a senior loan collector at Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation in West Des Moines. He took great pride in his career, and in September 2004 he was the subject of a "Member In Focus" article in Collector Magazine.

In 2007 Addam's family began pursuing their dream to establish the Addam C. Medina Foundation.