My Story

In the past year and three months my life has, in a sense, been turned upside down, shaken, and is slowly being put back together piece by piece.

Many of you know what happened on July 26, 2012 but many of you don't. So for those of you who don't know and would like to know keep reading and I'll explain, otherwise you don't have to keep reading.

So, let me give you a little background about my family. I am the oldest of six children. I have two brothers, Sjon (22) and Ian (21). I also have 3 sisters, Maegen (20), Tristen (would be 15), and Madeliene (would be 14).

On January 19, 2011 I reported to the MTC to serve a full-time mission in the Salt Lake City South mission. My brother Sjon was serving at the time in the Washington D.C. South mission and our other brother Ian had just received his call to serve in the Scotland/Ireland mission come May of 2011.

So fast forward to July 26, 2012. I had a week and a half before I would be returning home from  my mission, Ian had just under a year left on his mission, and Sjon had been home for about three months. My mom, Sjon, Maegen, Tristen, and Madeliene had left our home near Houston, TX to come and pick me up from my mission. My dad was going to fly and meet us in Salt Lake because he had business in Philadelphia he had to do.

My mom and siblings were driving in the middle of west Texas when my mom swerved to miss a bouncing tire tread from a semi truck. Somehow the car ended up slamming sideways into a concrete pole of an overpass. How this exactly happened still doesn't make sense to me (even a year later) so, for me, this is how I know that this was all part of God's plan.

My two youngest sisters, Tristen and Madeliene, were killed on the scene and my sister, Maegen, suffers from serious brain damage. My mom and brother walked away with bumps and bruises.

My dad got the soonest flight to west Texas that was available and I flew in with my uncle the next day. Ian finished his mission in full force and spirit and has since returned home. Since that accident has happened I have learned so much. Don't get me wrong, its still hard and I still have my "bad" days but ever since the day of the accident Heavenly Father has never ceased to show me how much he loves me and my family and how this is all a part of his grand plan for us.