We get it - "Kyloson" is an odd name. Is it an ancient Japanese word meaning "strength"? Or perhaps the Aztec word for "conquer"? Or maybe it's clever combination put together by a high-powered Silicon Valley agency? Actually, it's none of those. It's also not a word you'll find in any dictionary, but it means the world to us.
In 2019, Kyle Pogue - age 20 and son of founder Matt Pogue - got hired to work the entry-level position at Worldwide Freight Management. That's not a typo. It wasn't "an" entry-level position, it was "the" entry-level position: answering phones, filing, picking up office supplies, taking out the trash; heck, even landscaping on occasion. Basically anything that needed to be done that nobody else wanted to do. Kyle was shy and introverted at first, and maybe a bit overwhelmed by his first real office job, but he worked hard and people began to like the kinda awkward, 6'3" kid who didn't talk much.
When Kyle started working at Worldwide, his Dad was a little skeptical. After quitting high school at 16, Kyle had been rudderless, not sure where he fit into the world. So when he expressed an interest in working at Worldwide, no strings were being pulled or favors dispensed; he would succeed or fail on his own. It turned out he not only loved the job, he was thriving in a way he never had before.
Then Covid happened, and Kyle's prospects were uncertain, but Dave and Cindy Barton saw something in him. Rather than getting fired, Kyle got promoted. Starting with data entry, Kyle learned to do a little bit of everything, and after going along on an installation job, set out to become an installer. By October of 2020, Kyle's transformation was well underway. The awkward kid had a steady job, his own apartment, and - most importantly - a purpose. He completed his high school diploma with the help of his stepmom, Suzanne. Several of his coworkers told Matt privately what a great young man he was, and he couldn't have been more proud.
As promising as things were, privately, Kyle was struggling with depression that began in high school. As a child of divorce, his home life hadn't always been the best, and like many people, he felt stigmatized and kept his feelings guarded. Also like many people, when prescribed antidepressants didn't work, he made up the difference by self-medicating. He knew it wasn't a solution and after finding the job he loved, he knew he needed to find a new path. While investigating alternative therapies that didn't involve drugs - prescribed or otherwise - he stumbled on a legal (and unregulated) over the counter substance called kratom. He'd read that it helped people stay away from drugs and treat their depression to boot, so he decided to give it a try.
It was a Monday, in November of 2020, and Matt was feeling frustrated and a little angry. Kyle hadn't shown up for work that day and hadn't called in, and Matt didn't understand why. Things had been going so well! He'd talked to Kyle the day before and nothing seemed out of place, but now it was noon and Kyle still wasn't answering his phone. By mid-afternoon, anger and frustration turned to fear - something didn't feel right. At 3:30 pm, Kyle's roommate and best friend Thomas, returning home from an early shift, called...
Kyle Stephen Pogue passed away on 11/9/2020 from a reaction to an unknown amount - an overdose, essentially - of over the counter kratom. A test to accurately determine how much he'd consumed or when he'd consumed it didn't exist, but no other substances were found that could be attributed to his death.
When the person you've lost is your child, the manner of death doesn't matter all that much compared to the new reality you're forced to inhabit. Losing a child is different from losing someone to a long illness or old age; it forces you to change your plans. You no longer need to set aside a date for your child's wedding, or days spent with your grandchildren, and life becomes filled with "what if's".
Kyle's funeral service was packed with friends, family, and coworkers and it suddenly was clear how many people he'd impacted and how much he was loved. He never would've guessed. Worldwide Freight built an outdoor picnic area devoted to Kyle's memory, but Matt needed to do something more. When the new company was on the drawing board, he knew right away what he needed to do.
So "Kyloson" isn't an ancient Chinese proverb or the invention of a fancy marketing firm, but that's ok with us. Every time we say the name, we think of the awkward kid who became the man his Dad is so proud of, and it reminds us life is precious.
Kyle Stephen Pogue - 7/29/1999 - 11/9/2020
