Sharing Their Stories to Save Lives
By Jan Withers | October 11, 2012 | Filed in: Drunk Driving , National President , Underage Drinking

During MADD’s National Conference a couple weeks ago, I had the privilege to spend time with Leo and Janice McCarthy.  Leo has been honored as a 2012 Top 10 CNN Hero for starting Mariah's Challenge in honor of their 14-year-old daughter, Mariah, who was killed by a drunk driver as she was walking home.

I also got to see Melissa Stegner, who entered my life at MADD's Teen Influencer Summit this summer, and so eloquently spoke at our conference.   Her quiet graciousness complements her fortitude and passion in speaking out against drinking and driving, as well as underage drinking.   She describes herself as shy, but musters the strength to work at this prevention because her father and older brother were killed by a drunk driver.

I invite you to read the beautiful article, What sways teens not to drink, drive? Stories, not stats, highlighting both of these amazing individuals.

You can also click here to vote for Leo McCarthy to become the CNN Hero of the Year.

Why We’re Here: Jean Dyess
By MADD | October 9, 2012 | Filed in: Victim Stories

Halloween should be a time of whimsy, when both kids and adults decorate and dress up—whether scary or silly, horrifying or hilarious.  But for the Dyess family, Halloween in 2010 was a different kind of horror.

Jean Dyess, her mother-in-law Karla and eight of Karla’s grandkids began what they thought would be the traditional Halloween trick-or-treat adventure with a neighborhood friend.  As Jean and Karla towed the children across the street, all dressed up and excited for the night’s events, they heard the rev of an engine and saw a truck charging to the top of the hill.  Karla pushed the young children surrounding her back, and Jean, carrying her four-year-old daughter, Jennifer, and holding the hand of her seven-year-old daughter Jessika, threw both kids to the curb just before being struck by the truck.

After the impact, Jean was flipped and dragged by the truck for several feet before she was freed from the truck.  The driver of the truck turned the corner, stopped to look back, and drove off as his passengers said “you hit her, GO!”  Karla ran to her daughter–in-law lying in the street and talked to her until the ambulance arrived.  Neighbors who saw the incident jumped in their car to try to track down the driver, but he got away.  

None of the nine children trick-or-treating with Jean and Karla were injured.  Jean died that night.

Twelve days after Jean was killed the driver was found and arrested.  In interviews, he admitted to have been under the influence of both drugs and alcohol, but because he was not arrested until nearly two weeks after the crash, he was charged with vehicular manslaughter, among other charges, but not DUI.

Karla and the Dyess family worked with Mak Walker, a Victim Advocate from the East New Mexico chapter.  Mak gave Karla a bit of advice that would greatly assist in the upcoming criminal case—to write everything down while it is still fresh in her mind.  It was a difficult and emotional task, but when it came time for trial, Karla was able to refer to her notebook and provide the information from that night to the District Attorney. 

The April following her death, the city of Carlsbad, New Mexico held a ceremony in Jean’s honor at the “Our Town Hero” monument at a local park, and dedicated a day in her memory—“Jean Dyess Day.”  Each year the Dyess family goes to the monument and releases florescent green (Jean’s favorite color) balloons with messages to Jean.  Karla learned that this was a great way to help her grandchildren deal with their loss.  “It is hard for them to comprehend death, but writing letters to her helps them with their grief.  They call it ‘airmail to heaven.’”

MADD National Conference: Steps on Capitol Hill
By Jan Withers | September 27, 2012 | Filed in: General

Today, as part of the 2012 Mothers Against Drunk Driving National Conference, more than 300 drunk driving crash victims and survivors, MADD volunteers and supporters from across the country are gathered at the U.S. Capitol for legislative meetings to urge Congressional action on two important measures: full funding for priority highway safety programs, and passage of a Constitutional Amendment providing for crime victims’ rights.

Click here to read the press release for more information.

MADD National Conference Celebration of Life: Steps to Healing
By MADD | September 26, 2012 | Filed in: Victim Services

Tonight we kicked off the MADD National Conference with the Celebration of Life: Steps to Healing victim/survivor tribute.  At the ceremony, six of the past MADD National Presidents read poems, many by famous poets, but one was written by Carl McDonald, MADD’s very own National Law Enforcement Initiative Manager, to honor his daughter Carlie.

“Balloons on a Birthday Night”
By Carl McDonald
 

They went up this time a bit lazy
The January winds were kind.
New lighting on the Angel Plaza
Kept them glowing into the sky.

Against the darkness they rose east
Catching the light of the city.
Little dancing globes
Turning to stars in the heights.

Ten of them. I laughed with her for five;
Cold creeping in now with unfairness.
Breathing the frost of pain.
No candles of warmth and light.

Gone from my sight the orbs;
Nothing left to see.
A silent home to return to
…alone….just me.

Jan Withers, MADD National President, unveiled the “Expression Boards”—chalk boards for conference attendees to write their memories, thoughts and feelings on each day of the conference.  Each night, the boards will be erased to give everyone a fresh start for the next day.

Past National President Laura Dean Mooney passing the Designated Driver Key to Current National President Jan Withers

Wall of Honor (victims and survivors of drunk driving)

What a great start to the National Conference!

Crash Survivor Represents the US at the Paralympic Games in London
By MADD | September 13, 2012 | Filed in: Drunk Driving

In 1999, 22-year-old Kari Miller, a member of the US military, was celebrating the news that she was eligible to enroll in officer candidate school with friends, when a drunk driver hit the car she was a passenger in at 80 mph.  Kari awoke to find herself pinned inside the car with her legs crushed between the passenger-side dashboard and a telephone pole. Drifting in and out of consciousness, Paramedics worked to extract her from the car.   Kari remembers telling them, "You can cut my legs off, I'll forgive you, just get me out of here."

When she awoke in the hospital, she motioned for something to write one.  She wrote:  "I know I don't have my legs.  Don't be sad. I'll be OK.”
After she was released from the hospital Kari used a wheelchair while a prosthetics team worked to build her legs.  A friend of her family suggested that Kari try wheelchair basketball.  Kari learned a new way to continue to play her favorite sport.  She decided to try out for the U.S. Paralympic team, but with the frame of a 5’4” women, she struggled against the much taller women, and didn’t make the team.

Kari was devastated and planned to give up on athletics altogether until a friend suggested she try sitting volleyball, a sport she had never played.  Her first attempt at making the US Paralympic team she didn’t make it, but after years of hard work, she made the team and went on to win a silver medal in the 2008 Paralympics.  Kari recently represented Team USA in the 2012 Paralympic games, where they won the silver medal.  Learn more about the USA Sitting Volleyball Team.

Kari also works with the Paralympic Military Program at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where, among other things, she teaches wounded soldiers how to use sports in their recovery.

Read more of Keri’s story.

Kari is such an inspiration to so many injured victims and we are honored to have her as part of her MADD family.  MADD would like to congratulate Kari and Team USA for their success at the 2012 Paralympic games.