Nicole

       I am writing to you to share my story so that you may understand the importance of being actively involved in MADD, Mothers against Drunk Driving.  My name is Valoree Lalime.  My husband and I had a fairly normal and happy life with a grown, married daughter and a 13 year old daughter, Nicole.  We live in the Cyfair area of Houston and we both work.  We didn't think much about drunk driving except to say that it was a terrible thing when we heard about a person being injured or killed in a drunken driving incident.  WE did not get involved until drunk driving affected US. 

     On December 16, 2008, a little over 6 months ago, our lives were changed forever because of a drunk driver.  Nicole had just stepped off her school bus at 3:00 in the afternoon when a man was speeding down our street at a very high rate of speed, ran two stop signs, hit the school bus and then ran our sweet child down, just two houses down from our home.  She was left unconscious on the road as this man kept driving to escape his crime.  When he was caught, thanks to people like you and me calling in their concerns about his erratic driving, he resisted arrest.  His blood alcohol level when finally checked was .19, nearly 3 times the legal limit! 

     Our daughter was an incredible teenager with a heart of gold.  She was always putting other's needs ahead of her own.  In 2007, when she came home from our church youth group, she was excited about a program the youth group sponsored through Living Water International,  "The Advent Conspiracy."  They had asked for each youth to raise money by saving lunch money and by giving up one Christmas present to build a water well in an underprivileged country.  Nicole came home and said to us "Can you imagine that people don't have clean water to drink, to cook, to bath?  They have to use water out of streams and rivers and it is contaminated!  I can't think of anything I want or need that is more important than people having clean water!  PLEASE don't get ANY presents for me for Christmas and donate ALL of the money you would spend on me to build water wells!"  She did the same in 2008 before her death.  This was only one example of our sweet 13 year old's compassion for others.

     The morning after Nicole died; my husband and I decided that the only way we could be ok would be to work as hard as we possibly could to fight in her name.  We discussed how we never dreamed we would be touched by people who drink and drive and how much we wished we had been more involved in trying to stop this behavior.  We got in touch with MADD and found out that this organization has been doing great things for years and has had a huge impact on legislation and on supporting victims of drunk driving.  They provide education to schools about underage drinking, they have advocates to help victims wade through the court system, they provide counseling to victims and their families and they tirelessly work to educate the public and lobby for tougher laws to get the impaired drivers off the street.  It is only through the generous contributions of the public that this organization can continue to protect all of us from the types of incidents that killed our child. 

     Nothing can bring back our daughter.  Her loss has left a hole in our hearts and our lives.  Every day we must wake up and find a way to continue to make a difference in this world.  It is something I would not wish for anyone to go through.  And we aren't the only victims.  Every day we hear about another incident with injury or death.  Drunk driving does not discriminate by age, religion, sex, race or socioeconomic status.  All of us are at risk.  Please think about yourselves and your loved ones and do something different than we did before Nicole was killed by this senseless act, GET INVOLVED!  There are so many ways you can help.  Please just do it, don't think about it, just do it! 

Thank you for listening to our story.

Kind regards,

M. Valoree Lalime

 José

Jose de Luna, That was my favorite brother, he was a very happy and playful person. And he danced, that was what he liked to do the most.  For me, he was like my son, he even told me the he loved me like a mother because I always gave him good advise and when necessary a reprimand, but he always respected me and never raised his voice and accepted his errors and tried to change to be better, we always talked a lot, he would tell me all about his girlfriends and took me to the store to buy them presents for the holidays, he liked giving away red roses and perfumes, I miss his everyday calls, he would come to my house to play with my son Osvaldo, he had him spoiled and Osvaldo followed him everywhere.  He liked cheese stuffed peppers, that was his favorite dish and now every time I cook it I miss him so much.

When my little brother died I was seven moths pregnant and my belly was really big, he would touch it and say that if he could baptize the girl after she was born and I always told him yes.  When the accident occurred, they didn’t want to tell me because my family knew what he meant to me and how much my baby and I would suffer.  It also was something that I wouldn’t wish on anyone; he was a very loving person.  We listen to the music he used to like and my sisters and I burst into tears.  My brothers miss him a lot.  We will never forget him; the memories of him are recorded in our hearts.  My son Fernando is 17 years old and he can’t understand why did this happen to Jose, he was so full of life,  he still cries a lot and gets depressed, and me, still with a sad heart, have to help him, but remembering him is too difficult and sad.  We miss his happiness a lot; my family will never be the same without him. 

To me and my family life without him will never be the same, we miss him a lot, my mother is fading away because she can’t find the meaning of life anymore since she can’t have her baby with her.  She does not want to keep on living without him by her side and she cries.  I hope that God gives our family the strength to keep on and remember him the way he was.  We love him and miss him and need him, specially now during the holidays, Christmas is going to be very sad without him.  His birthday is in January, and for us one of the saddest days.  Life gave us such a hard blow that it will never be the same.

11/6/09

Maribel Guerrero

Sister

I, San Juana write these lines to explain what the death of my little brother signifies.  Jose was everybody’s boy, the youngest of seven.  I saw him come to this world and felt enormous happiness I also saw him die, and you should imagine how I suffered at that moment, seeing him there as his life ended.  I am still suffering, no having him with us in the family reunions, they are not happy anymore, now it is more sadness and tears always remembering him and asking why the life of such a young man, full of life and happiness, had to end.  It has been 16 months since he left our side, but for us it feels like if it was only yesterday.  I also suffer seeing my parents age because of the pain, always crying, this is what I can explain, I can’t say anymore because the pain is too much, we have never experienced something like this, losing a loved one.

Jose, my little brother, rest in peace.  You will live in our hearts and we will remember you with happiness.

11/6/09

San Juana

Sister

Sherry

Home City: Pearland, TX
Age: 38
Crash Anniversary: January 26, 2008

My sister was a passenger in a vehicle driven by an alleged intoxicated driver who was also her best friend. This was a one car crash and the driver escaped with minor injuries. They had both driven their separate cars to the "Hop" to meet with other girl's friends for a girls night out. We know she left her car at the Hop parking lot to go with her long time friend to have breakfast. They never made it to breakfast. The driver lost control of the car and spun the car around and hit a tree killing my sister instantly. This is a sad ending but there was a beautiful and happy life in between and that is what we are focusing on. Her journals of everyday life of the good the bad and the ugly and the funny has given our family a better idea of her true self. We are proud of the unfolding of a life in words. You really never appreciate someone until you lose them, so it gives us a second chance to see the humorous side and the touching pensive thoughts. Her anger was always short lived and always resolved and her fun loving spirit is a good path for us to follow. She will be missed, but we are following her lead. She was a mother of two, sister, daughter, good friend to many, exwife and lover.

Darla Karolina

Home City: Cypress, TX
Age: 20
Crash Anniversary: June 7, 2008

On June 7, 2008 at approximately 10:05 PM our beloved daughter Darla Karolina passed away in a tragic car crash. Darla was coming home from visiting her friends in San Marcos, Texas and was traveling on highway 290 when she was struck by a 55 year old woman who was traveling west bound in the east bound lane in a pick up truck of which the police found open alcoholic containers. The woman's BAC was twice the legal limit.

Darla was a remarkable young woman, who eagerly and impatiently looked forward to her 21st birthday this coming August. She had a profound effect on nearly everyone with whom she came into contact and nearly everyone had a nickname for her. Some of her nicknames were, Starla, DarBar, Bee’s Knees, Darling Darla among others.

Darla was a very talented artist and aspired to have a career involving art. She was also an accomplished interpretive dance performer. Darla was an extremely compassionate individual and as a result, was a dedicated vegetarian. She loved children and in fact, was to begin a new job at a local children’s day care center. Darla will be loved and missed forever by her parent's, sister, relatives and friends.

May you rest in peace Bee’s Knees.

Efren

Age: 27
Crash Anniversary: May 4, 2002

On that day, May 4, 2002, my best friend and heart was taken from me. Efren was a character that touched your life in every way imaginable..You either loved him or loved him more....His infectious laugh and wicked sense of humor could make you cry and smile all the time....His passion for motorcycles, friends and life was evident in all he did...He was killed by a drunk driver going the wrong way down the road with no lights on. Efren died on his motorcycle...He died doing what he loved to do. RIDE
I miss him so much...He is now an Angel up in Heaven looking down upon all he loved...I will see him again one day. We all will!!

Loving you always,

Your Pestosa Lili Susie