Every 15 Minutes
 

as I posted in a different thread my daughter is participating in a program called "Every 15 Minutes" next week. Every 15 minutes someone dies by a drunk driver. This is a very emotional educational two days for the entire school.

Britnee will be in a real life crash, the fire department, ambulance, local hospital and funeral home are all involved. She is going to be driving a vehicle and get hit by a drunk driver, she will be thrown half way thru the windshield. She will be taken by ambulance to the local hospital and pronounced dead there. A police office will come to my parents home to pick me up and tell me of her accident. I will ride with them to the accident and then in the ambulance to the hospital. While they will be trying to save her life.

The following morning there is a funeral at the school. She will read a letter starting with Dear Mom and Dad, I have been killed by a drunk driver and this is what I wish I would of told you...... and she finishes the letter.

I at first thought I can't do this but it is important to her so I will do it.....

I have created this thread for support.... I know in the next week I am going to need it. I already tear up when I think about it.

some people have asked questions about it... here is the website of the national program.

http://www.every15minutes.com

Thank you in advance for your support. I come here for I know it is here!

:hug:

wow...

sorry, I should have said hello first...:o

I am scared to go to your link in case it has pictures from these re-enactments.

I could not imagine doing something like this, kudos to you for going through it to support what your daughter believes in.

It is a good cause, but the method sounds a bit, um, brutal?

good luck to you in the coming week as you deal with this.

yes Katt brutal but in real life it is brutal. This program is to give a real life experience to these teenagers. There is so much more going on in the school during these two days that I didn't even touch on.

Every 15 minutes a student is pulled out of class by a Grim Reaper - their face is painted white and they will wear a black shirt. They go about their day in classes but can not speak to anyone.

Powerful....

I can understand making the point so strongly, so the kids really get it.

I took a defensive driving class once that showed pictures from drunk driving accidents and they were NOT for the weak stomached...

I did not realize the statistics were that high, thought places were cracking down and programs had reduced them. :(

I have chills...
 

...my thoughts are with you. You are a brave mother to do this. We have done this at our school. It does have a huge impact. I'm glad you daughter wants you to be involved and she sees the importance of it. I'll bet she is a great kid....just like her mom! :) I will be thinking of you!

I think the thing that affected me the most working on the ambulance was the kids and the parents.

It's heartbreaking when it's your town and you know them and they look at you hoping you can give them some good news, and you know the odds are against their child surviving.

I watched my own mother go through this and I will never forget that noise, the noise she made when she saw my brother. He didn't make it. I would spare any parent that pain and agony.

If this program works on even one kid and stops them from making a bad choice that can kill them or someone else, then it should be a mandatory program for all schools.

:hug: Char.

Wow (like Katt said)

Char, just know that we all are here for you. :grouphug: It's a great privilege to partake in such a grand learning experience. You will get through it. Your daughter sounds so very special too. Her desire to create this horrific scenario as a teaching tool for peers leaves me speechless.

:hug::hug:

I agree with what the others have said Yabbit, and your daughter must be one special young lady to be doing this.

I'm so glad you started this thread. I'm sure a lot of us will be more aware ourselves now and it never hurts for anyone to be reminded of the consequences of drink driving.

You know darn well we'll all be here to hug you when it's over, and I'm pretty sure you'll be needing it. Maybe some of us will be too.

As an RN I've worked in Emergency Rooms in that past and as RW mentioned, we in medical and allied health services get to see the other side, and it can be quite heartbreaking at times.

My family lives with the effects of a drunk drivers actions every day.

My mom was hit by a drunk driver when she was 17yrs old. She lived, but she was in a coma for 5 weeks with a brain concussion.

When she came out of the coma, she had to re-learn how to walk. Her vision was screwed up, she needed prisms in her glasses for several years to fix her vision. When she started college classes not long after her accident, she noticed she had to tilt her head almost all the way to the side to read the chalk board.

She's had memory problems, anger issues because there was apparently damage to that part of the brain that controls emotions.

Now that she's in her late 60s, she's got back, knee and hip problems from some of the injuries she got from the drunk hitting the car she was in.

The memory problems are getting worse, and the anger issues are bigger than just issues now. She's pretty much on her last nerve and anything can set her off. (no control at all)

When I was growing up, I didnt realize that there was something wrong with my mom. I thought she was normal. (she is fairly normal compared to some other people, I've had friends who's parents were a lot stranger, and they didnt have a brain concussion to use as an excuse for weird behavior)

My dad did a good job of protecting me and my sibling from my mom's personality.

I have no sympathy for any drunk drivers. Having to deal with my mom and her TBI from that drunk driver, it's one of the reasons I do not drink alcohol. If I were ever in the jury pool for a drunk driver's trial, they wouldnt be able to use me because I would want the guy to be found guilty and dropped into a hole and never let out.


I really hope this program will keep everyone who participates from drinking and driving and potentially killing or injuring anyone else.

Charlotte, you already know how impressed I am with both of your daughters and their accomplishments. This is a remarkable sacrifice on both of your parts and I hope that your relationship will grow still more through this experience.

I am acquainted with a individual whose foolish choice to drive caused the death of another driver. This person has had a ton of counseling and her entire life has also been destroyed by that single event. She carries so much guilt for her actions as a teen, she sincerely wishes that she had been killed as well. She has made one serious suicide attempt.

No one wins with drunk driving and the community service you and these people are making is an important and tremendous gift to others.

So, thank you for doing it, and please take care to protect yourselves from the overwhelming emotions.:hug:

Char, we're right here with you and your daughter. I cannot imagine what this is going to be like for you since it COULD be you, you know? I applaud your courage to do this with and for your daughter. I have heard of this program and think it's amazing. I wish my kids could have experienced this. Well, maybe they did, but it was by me telling them if they drive drunk and hurt someone they better pray for jail over facing me.

Gosh, your a brave momma! The funeral will be hard but you'll get through it. Your daughter will get to see how emotional this whole thing is on loved one's as well as her friends. Jim and I lost a great friend to drunk driving, theirs. My hat is off to you. God bless.

Char, I think this is a great program for these young people to participate in. Reading about it is one thing but actually acting out the scenarios really hits home with these kids. Your daughter is doing a good thing.

My son was on the DUI Task Force here in our county last year. I can remember him telling me that the kids he saw in some of the accidents were not that much younger than him...maybe 3-4 years younger.

Alcohol causes more heartache than some people realize. Not only for the drunk driver's family but for the victim's family as well. It's a lose-lose situation. :(

Bless you for being willing to put yourself through this.

Thirty-eight years ago this summer, I was hanging baby clothes on the clothesline out behind our apartment early on a Sunday morning, when I saw the police cruiser come up our short street and turn into the neighbor's driveway two houses up.

A few seconds later, I heard the teenage boy's mom start to scream. And scream and scream and scream.

I will never get that sound out of my head as long as I live.

I wasn't sure how the thread would go over. I knew it would hit some people hard but wasn't sure the overall results. Thank you for the support.

The very first time I looked into the eyes of my daughter I knew I would do anything for her. Both my daughters are very special to me. I am so lucky. But, I pray that I will NEVER have to do this in "real" life. Britnee was chosen to participate because of the community service she does in the area. She feels it is a honor to be chosen and to be a part of this. That all in it's own makes me so proud of her. And if she can do than I can stand beside her and do it as well..... that's what moms are for.

Char, I think it would be difficult sitting there listening to this as a mother. But when you think of it, it is just a tale, for the moment. Your daughter will not be involved right now and hopefully never. But if this program saves at least one person it is worth it.

We had 2 high school sisters in town who were driving home drunk from a party and crashed. They both died! Imagine parents loosing both girls. Because of where I work, I had pics of the crash. Nothing from the bodies but the actual wreck and I showed my DS. I will always bring them out and show them to him. His biggest comment was seeing the car upsidedown and the girls shoes laying on the ground. As he gets older I am sure there will be more questions and he will look at them a little differently.

Char I will be beside you holding you as you go through this ceremony.:hug:

Hi Char~ WOW~ You never cease to amaze me. Your DD's are a reflection of how you raised them. You deserve a pat on the back and I am in awe of what Britnee is stepping up to do. That has to be one emotional ride.

You have shown us another reason to believe that you are one STRONG lady! Of course, you know you are in my prayers!! *always*

For anyone who has been on the other side of a tragedy involving a drunk driver, please know that I am so sorry for your pain and losses.

It's just not right.

Today is the day!

I am leaving here in a bit to head to the small town my daughter lives in. I am not sure how long the whole thing is going to take. I called her a little bit ago and she was running late as usual (another one of her mothers traits)

Her actual accident takes place at 10:40. Keep us in your thoughts this morning and especially tomorrow morning during the mock funeral. DBF was going to go with me for support but isn't going to be able to make it. I am a little worried about it but my parents and the ex will be there so I will be ok....

You will do fine Char. I'll be thinking of you and your courage in the next hour.

You ok my leetle Yabbit?

Woke up thinking of you and Brit today.

I am thinking of you today and hoping you are hanging in there. :hug: It sounds like you have a remarkable and brave daughter and you should be very proud. (I'm sure you are!)

My DH has two children from a previous marriage. His son is almost 15 and is getting closer to getting a learner's permit. My DH has been collecting articles about teenagers killed in drunk driving accidents--or in any kind of accident for that matter-- for many months now. DH prints them out and puts them in a 3 ring binder that he plans to show his son once he starts driving. It will be a reminder to be responsible as well as show how many people can die.

I only have a quick second for I need to get to Brit's school by 8 and it is a little over an hours drive.... but wanted to check in really quick.

The accident wasn't as hard as I thought, she was smiling and it didn't go as planned but I will talk about that when I have more time.

She sent me a text about 6 last night while I was in class. Her dad didn't write the ullagy like he was suppose to and he didn't have time. So mom ended up doing it last night when I got home from class - till almost 11. That my friends is not an easy thing to do!!!!!!!!! I am just glad I don't have to read it.

will check in later!

Hugs to you and DD! That's gotta be tough.

She'll never know who's life she affected, but she should know she changed somebody's life doing this.

:cool:

Hey Yabbit?

Was channel 5 there? I caught the end of a piece on the news between 5:00 am and 6:00 am and they were at a school doing a report on this. Was that Brit in the report? Did I see the back of your head? I tried to catch it again later in the morning but I missed the 6-7 report completely.

Glad it wasn't as hard as it could have been. Hope all goes well today. I wouldn't want to read what you wrote either. I wouldn't make it through it, just knowing that her mother wrote it!

Yes, RW it was on channel 5 and Britnee was the one they took out of the car and put into the Ambulance.

It was the hardest thing I think I have ever had to do.... Britnee was a trooper - I am so very proud of her!! It was a very hard experience for both of us. She said to me "mom, I don't ever want to do that again." I in turn told her I didn't either....

I didn't want to come back to work I have been pretty emotional all day but I am here. I have been talking with one of the girls here in office since I got here so that is helping.

I can only say I am glad it is over!!!

Char, can you give us the link to the news channel? I tried to look it up but only came across an educational channel? I wonder if they have it online if it's a large station?

I looked Sandy it wasn't on there.... :mad:

Oh that's too bad. It's probably to protect the students.

char,
this is an amazing thing to do.
just reading what was being planned put a knot in my stomach.

sorry i'm reading this late and hope you and the family will be healing from this mock experience.