On August 26, 1981, my family was changed forever. My baby sister, Irene, was riding in a car with a family friend who had taken her out for dinner. A drunk driver ran a stop sign and hit their car head on. The drunk driver was a repeat offender who was driving on a suspended license at the time of the crash. Our friend, Joyce, was killed instantly and my sister was taken to the hospital in very critical condition. Her injuries were too severe and early the next morning, we lost our beloved Irene.    

 

I will never forget that morning as my parents sat me down to break that awful news. Some of the images that will forever be a part of me, my father crumpling to the floor, crying, telling me that my baby sister had been killed in a car crash and the awful screams my mom made as they closed the casket at Irene’s funeral.  

 

The footprint of my family was forever changed. I became an only child that day and my parents were never the same.   We went from a family of 4 to 3 in an instant.  From that day forward, nothing was the same. We lived daily with the painful reminders such as the empty seat at our dinner table and the bedroom with the door always closed.

   

Irene was a kind and generous person. Even at the young age of 12, she volunteered her time to help mentally challenged children. She loved softball, music, camping, fishing, school and her friends. She was viewed in her school and her community as a role model. She was going to change this world, but her opportunity to do that was stolen from her.   

 

We first walked in Irene’s memory in 2016. Our goal was not only to honor Irene, but to hopefully spread awareness and prevent this from happening to another family. We have found Walk Like MADD to be a wonderful place of sharing, healing and awareness. Please, come walk with us to honor those who can no longer walk and encourage those who are learning to walk all over again. Together, we WILL make a difference….