When Michelle and her boyfriend Christian arrived back home after a night out, Michelle wished her parents goodnight before curling up with her boyfriend in her childhood bed for a badly-needed night’s sleep.
When Michelle’s mother came to check on her the next afternoon, she was shocked at what she found…
Perfect Couple
According to all their friends and family, Michelle Avila and Christian Kent were about the most perfect couple out there. They both shared a deep passion for surfing and were equally good looking with their sun-kissed blonde hair and perfectly tanned skin. But, as perfect as they may have appeared, they both had bad habits…
Feeling Sick
While Michelle’s father Paulo had no idea that his daughter was even a drug user, he told the press, according to an Orange County Register report, that both she and Christian had been sick with a cold in recent days and were both taking antibiotics and not drinking alcohol. Paulo even checked his daughter’s bedroom for evidence of drug use from time to time but found none that morning.
Normal Night
Michelle’s parents explained that their daughter wasn’t much of a party animal at all, preferring instead to spend quality time with her boyfriend and their friends close to home in the Newport Beach area. When the couple arrived home at 12:30 that night, Michelle wished her mom goodnight and laid out her clothes for her 6 am shift the following morning at the Newport Beach coffee shop where she worked.
Written Reminders
It was clear that Michelle had not intended to harm herself in any way as she had freshly-written post-it notes scattered on a mirror in her bedroom at her parent’s home. “Study for geo. Work on your speech. Love Christian,” were a few of the reminders. By all appearances, Michelle was a happy person with a bright future.
Terrible Day
Michelle’s mother Adriana thought it a little strange that her daughter hadn’t called or texted her that day as she usually did. When she arrived home from work at 4 pm, she went to check on Michelle and Christian. When she entered the bedroom and found the couple in bed, she panicked and immediately called her husband and then 911.
Romeo and Juliet
Paulo spoke to Coast Report Online about the tragedy, telling them: “It was like Romeo and Juliet … they were hugging each other.” The scene was tragic and mysterious at the same time. Both of Michelle’s parents wanted some answers, but they’d have to wait…
More Questions
According to The Orange County Register, the bereaved parents had more questions than answers. “What happened to those kids?” Paulo asked. “What did they do? What happened to get to that point?” The young couple had only been dating for a year, but they were tight and reportedly very much in love.
Two Souls
Michelle’s parents explained that they moved their daughters to Newport Beach from Brazil when they were young to give them a safe and healthy upbringing. Michelle and Christian reportedly fell in love at first sight, as Michelle wrote on her social media pages back in August. “It’s crazy how two souls can connect so deeply & quickly … can’t wait for some more amazing memories to be made,” she posted.
Saying Goodbye
Michelle was devastated when Christian went to college after the summer vacation. She took to social media to post her feelings on the matter. “Today I had to say goodbye for now, to my best friend and partner in crime,” she wrote. “I remember the day you came into my work, smiled at me with those eyes and asked me for my number. You found me at just the right time, and life has been one hell of a ride since!” The couple were very much in love and had their whole lives ahead of them.
Star Student
Michelle was an overachiever at school and was considered by friends and teachers alike to be a star student. She even received a letter from the late President George W. Bush to honor her achievements as a student and had traveled extensively over the past few years around the world.
Loving Travel
While Michelle loved to travel, having visited Bali, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Japan, and Brazil, before she started her modeling career, her father said that her true desire was to become a successful journalist one day. “She was going to follow her sister,” he said. “She loved writing, she loved to write, she loved speech.”
Hit Hard
When news got out about the couple, one local publication called What Youth published a tribute to both Christian and Michelle. “Christian and his beautiful girlfriend, Michelle Avila, were found unresponsive last weekend at her home in Huntington Beach,” read the tribute. “We last saw them at our last skate jam a month or so ago. In love, happy and at home.”
Genuine Person
According to Christian’s best friend, Andeaux Borunda, who was also hit hard by the news, Christian was a “genuine person” who was always there to lend a helping hand for people in “times of worry.” “In the moments when you felt the world was spinning backward, he would help you move forward,” Borunda wrote on What Youth.
Free Soul
In paying tribute to Michelle, her father said about her: “She traveled – a free soul. She loved to take pictures. She was spending her life doing that,” Paulo said. “Having fun with her friends, having fun with us.” And the parents kept a close eye on their daughter to make sure she wasn’t taking drugs, though it turned out they weren’t looking close enough…
Checking In
Michelle’s parents said that their daughter was informed about drugs and simply wasn’t the type to take them. Her parents regularly checked her room just in case. “There was nothing there,” he father said. “There was nothing that would make me make a move, or strip search or go do a drug test. Nothing. She was just a sweetheart,” he added.
For Adventure
Another close friend of Michelle, Austin Smith, said he remembers his friend as someone who was always up “for adventure.” “I couldn’t come to town and not grab Michelle,” Smith said. “She was kind of the first pit stop. Grab Michelle, grab the gang and we’d load up the Suburban,” he explained, adding that Michelle loved music so much that she “lived her life” through it.
Overdose Epidemic
According to a study released last year, The Orange County Health Agency found that deaths from drug overdose had increased by 88 percent between 2000 and 2015, and nearly half of those deaths were due to accidental prescription drug overdoses. That means that the deaths of Michelle and Christian were most likely accidental if not very unfortunate.
Opioid Prescriptions
Furthermore, according to the Alcohol Drug Advisory Board, there were 1,711,809 prescriptions issued to patients for opioids in 2015 alone. And while big Pharma and other interest groups are making a small fortune from these toxic and dangerous drugs, teenagers are dying at alarming rates.
Final Tribute
Having decided to cremate Michelle, her parents explained that they intended to spread her ashes across various locations including Brazil where the family is from originally. “We are planning on going to Hawaii; then we’ll bring some to Brazil, and back here. She was born in Santa Monica,” Paulo said. “Then the rest I’ll keep with me. The majority is going to be with me. I’m going to stay with her until I die.”
Raising Funds
A GoFundMe page was set up by the family to raise funds for Michelle. The page notes: “She was a beautiful girl, creative, hilarious; loved art, music, writing poetry and coffee. She was very loved by her family and friends. An inspiration to us all, she lived life to the fullest and was never anything but herself.” The writer of the page encouraged people: “Let’s show our love for this family during this very difficult time. Let’s take care of Michelle’s family as best we can while they plan her service and celebration.”
