December

December...the most wonderful time of the year? For many victim/survivors December isn't the most wonderful time of the year.

I remember well the December of 1991. My husband, Mike, had just been killed in late November and then all of the sudden--everywhere I turned it seemed--people were jovial, celebrating, shopping, and going to parties. I wanted to shout, "Hey, don't you see what I'm going through?? How can you be so happy around me?" I went to the local mall because I felt like I had to buy our daughter something for Christmas. I wasn't there very long at all when I felt like I was being smothered...like I was having a panic attack. I had to leave.

Of course these strangers didn't know what was going on inside of me. I looked like any other young Mom at the mall. But inside, the grief was excruciating.

And so here we are in December. Many victims of drunk driving crashes are going through just what I went through. Yes, it may have been years ago when their loved one was killed by a drunk driver, but they are still hurting. Or, it may have been since last December that their loved one was killed and this is the first holiday season without them. And seeing people having fun hurts them. They wish their son/daughter/mom/dad/other loved one was with them to usher in the shopping season or eat cookies or decorate their home. And the reminder of how they died is brought to the surface once again.

Take time to breathe and reflect this December. And remember, this will be behind us in 30 days.

Bride-to-Be Loses Fiancee to Drunk Driver

On what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, Angel Nicole Bonham of Columbus County, North Carolina waited at the church for her fiancee to show up so that they could get married and spend the rest of their lives together. Unfortunately, a drunk driver altered those plans.

This story really highlights the aftermath of a crash. Angel went from being a blushing bride-t0-be to a grieving victim.

This is why MADD puts so much of its efforts into not just preventing drunk driving, but helping those who are left in the wake of these horrible tragedies through its free victim services.

If you or a loved one has been affected by a drunk driving crash, call 1-877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435) to speak with a Victim Advocate.

MADD sends its condolences to the Tedder and Bonham families.

Two Sisters Honor Their Brother’s Death in a Drunk Driving Crash by Volunteering as MADD Victim Advocates

When 33-year-old Lester Clark was killed in a 1992 drunk driving crash, it devastated his four older sisters and their mother. Lester's sisters Pat McCollum and Penny Clark wish they’d known MADD was available to help at the time. In the year’s since, these dynamic women have turned their grief into action as volunteers and victim advocates for MADD in Kentucky and Indiana. They were honored with the 2008 Brenda Altman Heart of MADD Presidential Award, given annually to MADD volunteer victim advocates for their accomplishments in demonstrating initiative, creativity and caring to promote healing and growth for drunk driving crash victims.

Read the sisters’ complete story.