On October 18, 2008, the world got a little dimmer when Natalie Evaro died in a drunk driving crash. Natalie’s family called her Miss Sunshine, because she was always so bright and cheerful, and lit up the room. Natalie, an honor student, was preparing to start her sophomore year at Middle Tennessee State University and had dreams of studying abroad.
Natalie was working at a restaurant and bar with a very “loose” policy on alcohol use. Despite the fact that Natalie was only 20, her employers saw no issues with allowing Natalie, and the other restaurant staff, to drink alcohol during and after their shifts; they even provided the drinks. Early in the morning on October 18th, after grabbing a couple of drinks with coworkers after her shift, Natalie got in her car to drive home to her apartment. Unfortunately, she never made it. At 3:30 a.m., only three blocks away from the restaurant, Natalie crashed into a metal utility pole while exiting the highway and was ejected from her car. She was taken off life support two days later.
Natalie’s parents, Gene and Melissa, were always very open and had many conversations with Natalie and her siblings about the dangers of drugs and alcohol; they never suspected that she had started drinking. It wasn’t until after the crash that they found out that she had frequently been drinking at work, and then driving home. It was a shocking realization to her parent because she was a smart girl who knew better than to drink and drive. But they also know that young people are easily influenced by their peers, and that alcohol causes loss of judgment.
The night of Natalie’s crash, she was the only person to drive herself home from the restaurant; all the other employees took cabs, leaving Natalie’s parents to ask, “Why did no one try to stop her?”
There are a lot of factors that contributed to Natalie’s death, including the restaurant that served a minor, her coworkers, manager and owners that did not stop her from driving, and of course, the fatal decision made by Natalie to drink underage and then attempt to drive.
Natalie’s parents now know that just because your child has left the nest, doesn’t mean your job is done, and they want to share Natalie’s story in hopes of making a difference— in hopes of saving even one life.
When asked what advice they have for other parents, they said, “Communication. Don’t think for a moment that when the kids go off to college that our jobs as parents are any less important or hands on. If anything, this is when you have to really watch what they are doing. The main thing is to always talk to them. Check out where they are working, who they are involved with and see for yourself that is a good, safe environment for them to be in. Believe me, it’s worth it.”
It’s because of families like the Evaro’s that MADD created the Power of Parent™ program, to give parents the tools they need to have these lifesaving conversations with their kids. Even if your kid is a “good kid,” or a “smart kid,” they can still make bad decisions. Bad decisions like drinking underage, riding in a car with someone who has been drinking, or drinking and driving, that could threaten their lives.
Parents have the power to help kids make healthy decisions that can keep them safe. In fact, research shows that parents are the primary influence on their kids’ decisions about whether or not to drink alcohol. That’s why MADD created Powertalk21®, the national day, on April 21st, to start talking about teens and alcohol. Each year, we focus on reaching as many parents as possible, with the vision that April 21st will become widely known as the day to talk about kids and alcohol. In preparation for PowerTalk21, parents can get tips and conversation starters, download the parent handbook and find a free 30-minute parent workshop at www.madd.org/powertalk21.
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