News is dominated by assignments, deadlines and good story telling. There are the newsroom deadlines and your own personal ones. Mine included making it back to network by the age of 30 and winning an Emmy. I never received that call. When an Emmy nomination came later and without a win, surprisingly, I was perfectly happy and fulfilled. Why? Awards are great. But they fill shelves, not your soul.
I never received a news assignment thinking, “this story is going to reach to the depths of my soul and change how I want to live my life.” But it happened. Several times beginning with my first and last assignments. The people I’ve met and their stories will always stay with me, especially the lessons I learned from a woman named Brandy.
A Mother
Brandy is the mother of eight children. You don’t have to make it beyond the family’s front porch to feel the love and to witness the flurry of activity. The children greeted me and my photographer into their home with smiles and laughter. A few of the older children passed us on their way outside to meet friends and to head to sports and dance practice. If you passed by them on the street, you’d smile at the love they share for each other never guessing the depths of their loss.
A Survivor
On April 11, 2010, Brandy’s two-year-old Abigail was playing outside with her siblings when a ball rolled into the neighbors driveway. The neighbor’s teenager was getting into the car. He didn’t see her and backed over Abigail.
Abigail was the same age as my youngest daughter at the time and seemed to inhabit the same spunky, independent spirit.
Just earlier that same day, I had scolded my child for not wanting to hold my hand in her preschool parking lot. I could still feel her warm tiny hand slip out of my grip and the panic as I reached to grab her as she attempted to bolt. I hated parking lots. It made me nervous walking through them alone trying to hold onto my children and look out for distracted drivers texting, talking and eating behind the wheel. I always checked every mirror in my car multiple times and crept out of parking spaces if children could be nearby. I had already realized how quickly and easily a child could disappear behind a car.
Brandy told me that she could still feel Abigail’s hand in her own even six years later.
So how? How do you move on with your life?
Brandy says she simply had to for her other children.
A Fighter
Brandy took the darkest moment in her life and used it to spur change across this nation. She and her family made trips to Washington, D.C. to fight for back up camera legislation. A family from a town of about 20 thousand people in Alabama is one of the reasons why all new cars will be required have this camera technology. She’s making the roads safer, especially for our children and our elderly.
A Role Model
I had been given an assignment about back overs and the size of blind spots behind cars. I had no idea the woman responsible for the new mandates was simply a mother in my own community. She taught me what it means to be strong, to fight for your children and how one person can change the world. Ironically, the story about Brandy’s family earned me an Emmy nomination. It was an honor. But it wasn’t life changing. Meeting Brandy and her family was. Thank you, Brandy.
Perhaps sharing her story will inspire others. I hope so.
P.S. Want to see the story and learn more about how large the blind spot behind your car could be? Click here. The results of our blind spot test blew my mind.
