Joseph Wayts
Age 16

Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not natural for a parent to bury a child.”  No truer words were ever spoken.

I wanted nothing more out of life than to be a mother.  When I became pregnant, I glowed.  I developed toxemia in my seventh month and nature took over and I gave birth to my son.  He only weighed 2 pounds, 4 ounces and had only a ten percent chance to live.  I was heartbroken.  I prayed and prayed so hard, and he lived.  My miracle baby.  He was perfect and grew nicely.  Fifteen months later, my girl was born.  I had the perfect family.  Life had its ups and downs but since my Joey lived, I felt indestructible.

Well, a drunk driver changed that in an instant.  My son was driving a motorcycle with Ana Summers as his passenger.  Joey loved motorcycles and drove them safely.  The drunk driver, after drinking all afternoon, got in his car, drove 90 M.P.H. and hit my son head on.  They had to air bag the car so they could peel Joey’s body from under the car.  The casket had to be closed.

I had the joy of my son for sixteen years and now only have memories.  He never had a chance to reach his goals in life due to a drunk driver.  Not a day goes by that my thoughts aren’t of him.  I am now a functioning robot.  Mother’s Day has lost its charm.  We celebrate his birthday every year at his gravesite.  We bring balloons, and flowers and sing happy birthday.  Christmas is clouded now.  My heart has a hole in it that will never heal from the senseless act of a drunk driver.

I have a nine-year-old granddaughter, Heather, born two years after my son was killed.  I feel God sent her to us to make us continue to function.  We do the normal things in life but it will never be the same again - EVER.

Joey is gone but not forgotten.  He lives on in our hearts.

Submitted by Arlene Wayts