Leland Shoemake, age 6, was a typical Williamson, Georgia kid.

His bright disposition, keen mind, and inventiveness made a lasting imprint on everybody who met him.

”He knew his abc’s, numbers, colors, shapes and 20 sight words by the time he was a year old. He was our little nerd and we loved that about him. He loved school and loved to learn. He loved the history channel, the weather channel, documentaries and anything about history,” his mother, Amber Shoemake, shared on social media.

”I never imagined that would be the thing that would take him from me.”