Within seconds I stopped being a parent and mother. I lost my only child, Stephen Mager, on February 14, 1996. All of this happened during noon break on a school day. Stephen was a passenger in a car that was driven by his best friend. He was sitting in the back seat without his seat…
My first son, Chase, was a good kid. He was quiet, easygoing, funny, and an Eagle Scout. Chase was small but excelled at sports, pursuing football because of his great hand-eye coordination, speed, agility, endurance, and most of all, his desire to win. Chase was an above-average student until 10th grade. Chase’s grades started slipping,…
Tanya Guevarra, 25, and her 5-week-old son, Adrian, were driving to pick up a prescription in their hometown of Dacono, Colorado. Steven Ryan hit them head-on, killing Tanya instantly, but Adrian suffered several days before dying. As is typical after a fatal collision, four hours elapsed before a blood sample was taken from Ryan. The…
Aaron was an intelligent, handsome, articulate, and comical young man who was compassionate and forgiving. He was accepting, loving of everyone, quick-witted, and always joking around with family and friends. He was the life of the party. Aaron was in the Future Business Leaders of America organization as well as a college accounting program. Looking…
My heart is broken. I taught my son the dangers of peer pressure. I told him action is never justified simply because someone else says it’s okay. On the evening of October 6, 2017, a knock on my front door brought a parent’s worst —a police officer informed me Henry had been in a horrific…
Krystal Kazmark’s sudden passing in a tragic, preventable car crash left an irreplaceable space in the hearts of her family. Krystal was a passenger in a pickup truck driven by her boyfriend on a rural road. He collided with another vehicle, at first claiming he had seen an unknown animal. His truck was smashed, and…
On September 3, 2010, Brian and Erin Wood were driving to a vacation home owned by Erin’s parents on Whidbey Island in Washington’s Puget Sound. Jordyn Weichert and Samantha Bowling were driving an SUV with their boyfriends in the back seat. Weichert felt a need to change her sweater while driving, so she turned the wheel…
Rosemary Tempel, RN, BSN, was 56 years old was driving to work at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle, on July 17, 2012. Speeding and raveling in the opposite direction while under the influence of marijuana, Timothy Durden directed his jeep directly into Rosemary’s car. Durden’s car catapulted over Rosemary’s car, crushing her and breaking her…
“It’s criminal to legalize this powerful and addictive drug, which is killing our youth in so many ways. We need to wake up to what this is really about and become aware of how we are just pawns in the game plan of the marijuana industry.” It’s criminal to legalize THC marijuana, a powerful and…