Carson Douglas Rutledge

To Dr. Carson's family and friends! I can't believe he is gone. Dr. Carson was a strong fighter, his social media posts were so inspiring and touched many people who have been going through their own battles of life. Be kind. Cherish each moment, since life is precious and unfortunately, short. I miss Dr. Carson dearly. Condolences to Dr. Carson's family. He loved his niece so much! God bless you all!

My first big memory of Carson was at the yearly VCU Dentistry "post gross" party in 2011. It was a celebration after the completion of our first Gross Anatomy exam in the very beginning of dental school. Carson, of course, was the life of the party. He had many of us laughing uncontrollably while doing his Australian accent, in the likes of the Crocodile Hunter, to describe some of our fellow classmates that were celebrating a little "extra" that night- if you know what I mean. I laughed back at it for days. And I knew I wanted to be his friend. That was the beginning of thousand's of amazing memories that only Carson could have made possible. I always felt proud to be his friend.