No More Victims!

On February 19, 2008, my 14 year old daughter Angelica, her sister Nicolette who was 12 at the time, and some friends from church were on their way to see a movie. At exactly 12:18 p.m. a man who was a 7x repeat offender ran his red light and crashed directly into the car where Angelica was sitting. Angelica suffered a traumatic head injury and she was taken off life support 3 days later.

Since that afternoon, my family has been forever changed. Our family of 5 was no longer. It was incomplete. Our hearts were broken, our lives were shattered and we were engulfed so deeply in grief it was a struggle to face each day.

I remember the phone call; every parent’s worst nightmare. The call that dropped me to my knees in the parking lot of Panera bread. I remember the electrifying sensation that consumed every fiber of my being when the doctor pronounced Angelica brain dead. I remember calculating the number of days in my lifetime until I would see Angelica’s beautiful smiling face. Sadly, I will always remember the gut wrenching pain that a parent has when a piece of their heart is suddenly ripped away. I live with it every day.

I would never believe that the crib that I picked out for our honeymoon baby would be replaced by a casket in 14 brief years. The child that my husband Joey and I spent our entire lives protecting was so suddenly snatched away and there was nothing that we could do about it.

I don’t care about the number of hills we climb, or how many bumps are in the road. I am determined to make a difference. I will not let Angelica’s death be in vain, but a catalyst for change. Together we will journey on, and continue the fight, regardless of where the road leads us. I believe that we will eliminate drunk/drugged driving one step at a time.

Please join me in supporting MADD, because I honestly don’t know what I would do without their support. Give a gift to support the lifesaving efforts of MADD’s mission to end drunk and drugged driving. Funds raised help support victim families like mine, and help provide educational programs that are free of charge to the community.

Sincerely,