SHATTERED DREAMS

Littlefield High School held Shattered Dreams on Thursday and Friday to help raise awareness about drinking and driving and the impact it can have on not only the people involved and their families, but the whole community.

“I knew it would be powerful. I knew the plan, I had seen all of it and you definitely want to do it because even if reaches just one kid, who will say I will call my mom, nobody drive, or I’ll be the drive, or we’re not going to drink, it is worth every bit of it,” High School Principal Amber Hays said. “I knew the purpose of it, I knew it would be impactful, but you can not explain the feeling that hits you when everything that starts going down. It brings tears to your eyes watching people you know in a situation, even when you know it’s not real. The feel of the helicopter, and just to see it all, there are no words.”

She added, “Mrs. Moss does an amazing job. Her and Mr. Sanchez have worked for months on putting this together and it is an honor to be a part of it for those kids who were out there. They have spent a lot of time volunteering and doing things on campus to be able to get to do it, because they wanted to be part of it. But, I don’t think they even realized the impact it would have on them and how real it would feel.”

Mrs. Moss talked about the help she has gotten this year, saying, “Mr. Sanchez has been a huge help. He is a go-getter and is my co-sponsor and right-hand man. The Golden’s have been incredible in helping out, Emily Thomas ran the hospitality room, just the whole staff, anything I’ve needed from anyone and everyone has jumped in there. I could just name and name and name staff members who have helped out with this.”

Hays talked about what it takes to be able to put this on, saying, “The community is a huge part of being able to put this on. There is so much volunteering and donated services, because they live this every day and they know the impact of this, so even if they can reach one person, that is one less stop that they’re going to make.”

Mrs. Moss added, “Each one of my student council officers went out back in the summer and asked one to two businesses if they would be willing to help support us in Shattered Dreams. Littlefield is huge on Shattered Dreams and are huge donaters. It takes a lot of money to put on Shattered Dreams and they are right there with us.”

She added, “Sitting out there, it felt like a long time to get those victims out of the car and if you were sitting there and it really was real, imagine how much longer that would have felt like. And that is because everyone was here and everything was set up, but when you’re out on a dark road waiting for emergency services or waiting to hear about your loved one and how long that would feel like.”

LHS has had a five-year gap since their last Shattered Dreams.

“Shattered Dreams is something that happens once every four years because it is so expensive and everyone donates their services, and we definitely want to be able to continue to do this in the years to come,” Hays explained. “It has been a five-year gap since the last time LISD held Shattered Dreams; we were supposed to have it last year, but with COVID-19, we weren’t able to, but instead did some drinking and driving awareness. The Highway department worked with us and we had some people from M.A.D.D. and did some little mini-trainings. This is making kids want to go back and search for the videos of past Shattered Dreams, which is bringing even more awareness.”

Mrs. Moss talked about Shattered Dreams, saying “I think this program has a huge impact on kids, some it impacts, some it doesn’t, but if we can change one student, it is worth it. It is a huge planning task, as far as the community with EMS, Fire Dept., Hospital, TxDot, Police Dept., Funeral Home, AeroCare, it takes the whole community and they buy into it and it is incredible when it happens.”

Mrs. Moss talked about the impact Shattered Dreams had on her, seeing these students she has known for years, laying in the wreck, saying, “From when I had the parent meetings, to the staff meetings, to the student meetings, I get choked up just thinking as a mom, as a teacher of these students, and that if someone does die because of an alcohol-related incident.”

She added, “As a mom and a teacher, it hurts my heart knowing that Weaver is out there laying in the windshield, representing death.”

Mrs. Moss talked about the Grim Reaper and what the “Living Dead” represent, saying, “We play a heartbeat every 15 minutes over the PA system and that is representing that someone has just been killed by a drunk driver in the United States. The Grim Reaper will go in to a class room and pull out a student, who we call the living dead, which represents someone who has just died from an alcohol-related accident.”

She added, “Once they’re pulled out of class, they are brought to a holding room until the wreck happens. They are brought out in front of all of the students to show that this many people from 8:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. have been killed by a drunk driver.”

The kids involved in the Shattered Dreams wreck talked about what it meant to them to be a part of Shattered Dreams this year and the impact it had on them:

Jaron Cabello said that Shattered Dreams impacted him in different ways.

“It could happen to anybody. Seeing your friends or really anybody go through this impacts you a lot. One thing I get out of this is just to watch what your doing,” he said.

Jonavan Weaver stated that being a part of this really impacted his life, because people have to actually go through this.

“The part I acted out, I wouldn’t want anybody to go through what I had to act out and seeing what my friends had to do. I don’t want anybody to have to go through that,” he said. “Make good choices.”

He added, “Hearing my mom crying at the scene, it hurt my heart. I don’t want anyone’s parents to have to go through that.” Ethan Garcia said it was really big

Ethan Garcia said it was really big for him to be a part of Shattered Dreams this year.

“Learning first hand of what can and can’t happen, and what you experience while you’re there was an eye-opener. It impacted me quite a bit, especially being the ‘drunk driver’, and seeing my friends how they were and how the cars were and just experiencing everything that happened; it is going to impact me for a long time.”

Jordan Trevino said, “Being a part of Shattered Dreams this year helped me realize that every action has consequences, no matter if it is good or bad. Be safe, don’t drink and drive.”

Ashtyn Parker said that what impacted her the most was seeing her friends over the windshield laying down with blood all over them.

“It hurt me,” she said. “I hope this impacted other people, because I know when the school saw it, it impacted them.”

Parker also talked about having her dad be one of the EMT’s respond to the wreck, saying, “I know it hurt him even if it wasn’t real.”

Madison McNeese talked about being able to be a part of Shattered Dreams, saying, “It meant a lot to me, because I was one of the ones picked out of the entire student body to represent the school and help show how big of a deal drunk driving really is.”

She added, “The impact it had on me was huge, because this could happen to anyone. You play sports and then the next day you could be dead; it just shows how real it is and it made a huge impact on me.”

Kennadi Hanlin talked about being a part of Shattered Dreams this year, saying, “It meant a lot to me that they asked me to be a part of Shattered Dreams, because it is a big deal for everyone. It effected me a lot and it was very tough to be a part of, but I think we all handled it very well.

She added, “It impacted me to show me the importance of not getting in the car with a drunk driver, or no let someone who has been drinking drive, and just to stay home. I was the first one to wake up in the car and my best friend was laying on top of me, so that affected me a lot and was very challenging. I had to be the crier, but I got really invested in it and it was mentally hard on me, but I’m OK and I think it turned out really good.”

Dylon Redman, talked about being a part of Shattered Dreams, saying, “It meant a lot to me, because I got to see everything that happened in the background, since I got to do a lot of the planning. I think it was a really great thing to impact our community and our students to show that this can effect everybody in the community.”

He talked about taking the Aerocare flight, saying, “It was really intense and I didn’t really know what happened in the process of everything, when you’re being lifted by the helicopter. It was a little scary, but it was a really good experience and it went really well and I was glad that I could do that.”

Parents of the students involved in the Shattered Dreams wreck talked about the emotions they went through with seeing their child involved in the simulated wreck and funeral:

Nicole Shelley had two kids take part in Shattered dreams. She talked about her experience as a parent watching this years event, saying, “I thought I was prepared for what I would see, especially since I have helped organize two previous Shattered Dreams, but seeing my son walk out as a Living Dead and then watching my daughter get loaded up into an ambulance was an overwhelming experience.”

She added, “I’ll always remember the sight of her strapped to a stretcher with “blood” and “cuts” all over her. I’ll always hear her screams as she sat trapped in the crashed car with some of her closest friends. I thank God this wasn’t an actual wreck, and I pray I never have to live through a real moment like this with any of my children because witnessing the “staged” scene was beyond horrific. I just hope that this experience serves as an eyeopener for our students and community so none of our parents have to experience that pain.”

“I think it was surprising how emotional you get, even though you know it is staged, just to see your child and their friends that you love too, and have kind of become parents to,” Alee McNeese said. “You see the actual panic, when they get pulled out of the car, you see that they are actually effected by it. It is emotional and it makes it real and the emotions are definitely real and it is hard to watch. But, that is what we want, is for the kids to feel like it is real because it could be real.”

She added, “You want them to be affected by it and you could see it today as they walked in to the gym today very quiet, you could tell that they have been effected by this whole process, and that is what you want. As hard as it is for us as parents to even see them like that or see memorials for them or write an obituary, which is something you never want to do for your child. I’m so grateful that we do this and so grateful for everyone who helps put this on, but it is very emotional.”

Assistant Superintendent Mitch McNeese, talked about seeing two of his kids be part of Shattered Dreams this year, saying, “Yes it is staged, but I’ve had friends of mine that I went to school with who died in car accidents, I’ve had students since I’ve been working here the last 19 years that have been killed in car accidents, and to see your own kid in there, it’s impactful and it could happen at any time if people make the wrong choices.”

“Shattered dreams was a punch in the gut for me,” Amber Grace said. “To see my son doing a sobriety test and standing in front of a judge is something that I hope I never have to witness again. The boys in this are all like my boys and I pray this experience opens all of their eyes to what can happen when you make poor choices.”

She added, “Seeing Jonavan laying in a casket was more than I could take and a parent should never have to witness that.”

Sue Weaver stated, “My son was the student who died on the scene. Seeing my baby thrown out of a windshield, seeing him laid out on the gurney with a sheet covering him, seeing him put in a hearse and driving away. I was in shock.”

She added, “It was so emotional. At one point I couldn’t hear anything but an echo in my ear. My body was like frozen. I couldn’t move. When I left the scene I felt like I was just beaten up. They wanted me to act some stuff out but it was like I was in a daze. The four boys in the accident scene hold a very special place in my heart. It took an emotional toll on me. Then today at the mock memorial service, seeing my baby in a casket, WOW!!! That is something I wish no mamma would have to see. I hope this program opens eyes! If it saves one life I say it was well worth it. Parents hold your babies tight.”

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. First it is so surreal, and of course our daughter was part of it and as she is coming out of the car crying, it is very emotional,” Cary Hanlin said.

“You think it is just staged and our two older kids have been through it, so we kind of knew what to expect, but they weren’t in the wreck, so with our littlest one being in the wreck and hearing her cry, it is just way more real then what you are expecting it to be. And then it hits home, because this really could happen,” Carrie Hanlin said.

“Hearing the sirens going off really got my attention,” Donna Parker said. “Seeing my daughter and all of those kids in the car like that was really impactful and really brought to light how important it is for us and everyone to teach their kids not to drink and drive. It was really emotional and all of the kids involved are very special to my heart. It was really hard for me to envision that being a reality.”

She added, “On another note, I was in the ER when they brought Dylon and the other kids in. It was really heart-wrenching for me to know that I could be taking care of this bad trauma in the trauma room and know that there is a bad wreck and go around the corner and there is my daughter on a stretcher laying next to the other person in the trauma room. That really got my attention and impacted me a lot. It is so important for these kids to know the importance of being responsible. Drinking and driving is not the answer; call somebody, even if it’s your friend’s mom or dad.”

Randy Parker echoed those sentiments, saying, “It is hard because every time my pager goes off, if it is a wreck, I could know the person involved or I could not, and it was a little tough seeing my daughter in the front seat of the wreck, but we’re trained to do a job.”

He added, “Sometimes it is hard, but you have to put the job first because you’re there to take care of everyone involved; and I knew all of those kids yesterday. We are there for one thing and that is to get everyone help. It was a little emotional yesterday and I hope it made an impact on these kids and that I don’t ever have to see them in that situation for real. Call me, I’m up all hours of the night, and would be happy to give you a ride home. If there is one person’s life saved by watching the wreck scene that it was well worth it.”

Cassie Angeley talked about her experience with Shattered Dreams this year, saying, “I don’t think I expected it to be as emotional or as hard as it was. It really makes reality set it and is a gut check for you when you have kids involved in something like that.”

Alyssa Lopez stated, “I knew shattered dreams would be hard to experience but as they pulled my nephew Jaron out of the wreck, I felt helpless. I felt like all the times I’ve said, “call me” or “just let us know” meant nothing and an overwhelming feeling of sadness came over me.”

She added, “I wondered if I could have done more…more talking, more hard conversations about how serious one choice can be and that it can change your life forever but most importantly if I could have loved him more.”

Ashley Villafranco talked about the experience and emotions she went through this year with having her son be a part of Shattered Dreams, saying, “As a parent we constantly worry about our kids and hope and pray we raised them right to make wise choices. Experiencing Shattered Dreams was hard as a parent. Seeing Jordan and his best friends at that moment of the wreck broke my heart.”

She added, “It was scary seeing Jordan get pulled out and taken in the ambulance. It really broke me when he was laying in the hospital bed crying. It felt so real to him. I got really emotional when Ethan was arraigned and seeing Jonavan in a casket. I cried with both Jordan and Jaron at the hospital because it felt real and knowing they had realized that this could really happen, touched me.”