In March of 1993, my ex-wife and 3 children were in an automobile accident in Hickory N.Carolina. I was told when I got there from Virginia that I had my 5 year old son in shock with a cut above his eye. My 7 year old daughter on life support with a severed brain stem, and positively no chance of making it through. And my 9 year old daughter that was in serious condition with severe brain injury.

I then said my good-byes to my youngest daughter, allowed for organ donations, and took her off of life support. At that time, it was the hardest thing to do in my life. I know now that it was the start of many hard choices that I made, still make, and will make in the future.

Fortunatly I didn't have to take care of all the funeral arrangments myself, because by that time, I was hanging on by a thread myself, and knew that I couldn't handle it all. I went to my 7 year olds funeral in Virginia, and was called back by a "turn for the worse" of my 9 year old.

She remained in Glen Frye for 35 days in a coma, and was then transferred to Kluge's Childrens Hospital in Charlottsville Va. She slowly came out of her sleep, and her and I remained in Kluge's for almost 6 months afterwards while she received therapies and accessments of her injuries and chances of recovery.

We have learned that my 7 year olds eyes, kidney, and liver has helped save the sight, and lives of 3 different people in California, and New York. I have done what I can to help with the physical recovery of my now 16 year old daughter Angel. She is currently in a hospital in Benton Arkansas trying to cope with behavior and emotional problems stemming from the brain injury.

My son who is 12 now is doing great, and Angel will hopefully be able to come home soon if the doctors say that she is safe to herself and others to do so.

Many people ask me, "How do you keep going?" I ask them as I've asked myself over the years, "what other choice do I have but to keep going, when your children are on the line is "When you just can't give up"..

Email Richard