>> WOULD YOU PLEASE READ IT FOR US. >> YES.
OUR FAMILY TREE OF LIFE HAS BEEN
BROKEN WITH THE LOSS OF MY
GRANDDAUGHTER, ALISSA IN THE
MARJORY STONE MAN DOUGLAS HIGH
SCHOOL SHOOTING, FEBRUARY 14,
2018.
LIVING AFTER THE DEATH OF A
CHILD IS BEYOND TEARS.
IT IS A DAILY BATTLE TO SURVIVE
THE HARDSHIPS RENDERED FROM HER
TRAGIC DEATH.
THE FIRST TIME I WALKED BACK
INTO ALISSA’S HOME I THOUGHT TO
MYSELF, THE PHOTOS ON THE WALLS
WILL NEVER CHANGE BECAUSE SHE
CEASED TO EXIST.
THERE WILL NEVER BE A FAMILY
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION FOR HER.
WHILE SITTING AT THEIR KITCHEN
TABLE I CAN STILL VISUALIZE
ALISSA BOUNCING DOWN THE STEPS
AND SAYING, WHAT’S THERE TO EAT?
I’M HUNGRY.
I WOULD IMMEDIATELY JUMP INTO
ACTION TO PREPARE WHATEVER SHE
WANTED.
SHE USUALLY LIKED SPAGHETTI.
RELIVING THOSE MEMORIES BRING ME
BACK PAIN.
AND ALISSA’S DEATH SHATTERED THE
HEARTS OF THE ENTIRE FAMILY AND
FRIENDS NEAR AND FAR.
ALISSA WAS LOVED FOR THE
14-YEAR-OLD TEENAGER THAT SHE
WAS FULL OF ENERGY, ENTHUSIASTIC
WITH A CONTAGIOUS SMILE THAT
BROUGHT SUNSHINE TO ALL WHO KNEW
AND MET HER.
IT CAUSES ME PAIN TO KNOW THAT
FOREVER LOST ARE THE PROMS, THE
PARTIES, GOING TO COLLEGE, A
CAREER, NEVER TO MARRY, NEVER TO
HAVE CHILDREN, NEVER TO SHARE
WITH ME MORE MEMORIES OF HER
LIFE.
ALISSA’S ABSENCE FOR HOLIDAY
CELEBRATIONS ONLY LEAVES A
MEMORY IN THE SEAT SHE ALWAYS
SAT IN.
THE SUNSHINE OF OUR FAMILY HAS
DIMMED AND MY IMAGINATION IS
JUST THINKING OF ALISSA AS A
BRIGHT STAR ON A CLEAR NIGHT.
ALISSA WAS MY DAUGHTER’S ONLY
DAUGHTER.
ALISSA WAS SPECIAL AND UNIQUE.
HER TO BROTHERS, ROBBY AND CODY
HAVE EXPERIENCED THE LOSS OF
THEIR ONLY SISTER WHO THEY
LOOKED UP TO ESPECIALLY AS A
ROLE MODEL IN THE SPORT OF
SOCCER.
ALISSA FOLLOWED IN HER MOTHER’S
FOOTSTEPS PLAYING SOCCER
BEGINNING AT THE AGE OF THREE
YEARS OLD.
SHE HAD THE POSITION AS
ATTACKING MIDFIELDER WEARING THE
NUMBER EIGHT PROUDLY.
SHE WAS CAPTAIN OF HER SOCCER
TEAM SAKING ADDITIONAL
RESPONSIBILITIES, SHOUTING OUT
PLAYS TO HER TEAMMATES.
IN THE SOCCER GAME THE NIGHT
BEFORE HER DEATH, SHE WAS SEEN
ON THE FIELD JUMPING OVER AN
OPPONENT TWICE HER SIZE, SHE’S
AS SHORT AS I AM AND SHE HEADED
THE BALL TO MOVE THE BALL
TOWARDS THE GOAL.
MY DAUGHTER SHARED WITH ME
AFTERWARDS THAT AFTER THAT GAME,
SHE TOLD ALISSA SHE PLAYED THE
BEST GAME OF HER LIFE.
ALISSA’S RESPONSE WAS, I KNOW,
MOM.
THIS WILL BE A MEMORABLE GIFT
THAT SHE LEFT FOR ALL WHO SAW
HER PLAY THAT TUESDAY NIGHT,
FEBRUARY 13, 2018.
ALISSA HAD RESPECT FOR HER
COACHES, TEAMMATES AND ALWAYS
GAVE THEM CONSTRUCTIVE POSITIVE
FEEDBACK ON AND OFF THE FIELD.
MY BEAUTIFUL TALENTED
GRANDDAUGHTER HAD AN EXTREMELY
BRIGHT FUTURE FOR POSSIBLY LAW
SCHOOL.
HER BROTHERS WERE ALWAYS
GRATEFUL THAT ALISSA PERSUADED
HER PARENTS TO GET EXTRA TV
CHANNEL S.
OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL ALISSA DID
COMMUNITY SERVICE IN LOCAL
HOMELESS SHELTERS.
AT NIGHT SHE WOULD READ NEW YORK
THE TIMES BEST SELLING BOOKS AND
WE WOULD HAVE TO TELL HER TO
SHUT THE LIGHTS OFF AND GO TO
BED.
AS A MATTER OF FACT CURRENTLY A
BOOK SHE WROTE WHEN SHE WAS IN
THIRD GRADE ABOUT HER LOVE FOR
HORSES, I’M IN THE PROCESS OF
TRYING TO PUBLISH THAT FOR HER.
SATURDAY BEFORE HER DEATH SHE
PARTICIPATED IN A GOOD FRIENDS’
15TH BIRTHDATE CELEBRATION.
I WATCHED A VIDEO OF HER DANCING
IN FORMAL ATTIRE AND I TOLD HER
THE NEXT DAY HOW ELEGANT AND
BEAUTIFUL SHE LOOKED.
I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HER
SMILING -- EXCUSE ME, SMELLING
LIKE VICTORIA’S SECRET PINK STAR
MYSTERY, WHICH I KNOW HER MOM
SPRAYS ON HERSELF ALL THE TIME.
ALISSA’S DEATH HAS IMPACTED US
ALL.
UNFORTUNATELY AS A RESULT OF
ALISSA’S DEATH I MYSELF HAVE
SEEN PSYCHIATRISTS AND WEEKLY
PSYCHOLOGISTS.
I TAKE PRESCRIBED MEDICATION FOR
DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY.
I HAVE OUTBURSTS OF TEARS AT ANY
TIME.
SLEEP LESS NIGHTS AND ANGER
WHICH HAS REPLACED THE PURE JOY
OF LIVING EACH DAY.
EACH NIGHT I TOO GO TO BED AND
WET -- WRAP MYSELF WITH AN EXTRA
BLANKET THAT I WOULD COVER
ALISSA WITH.
I DO THIS TO HAVE A SENSE OF
FEELING CLOSER TO HER IN A
FICTITIOUS WAY.
WORDS ALONE CANNOT EXPRESS THE
PAIN AND ANGUISH OUR FRIENDS AND
FAMILY HAVE ENDURED SINCE THE
MURDERs.
I CANNOT EVEN DRIVE DOWN THE
STREET IN PARKLAND WITHOUT IT
BRINGING ME BACK MEMORIES OF
ALISSA DRIVING HER TO VARIOUS
PLACES I USED TO GO.
THE MARRIOTT HOTEL WHERE WE WERE
TOLD SHE WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF
THE VICTIMS, THE HIGH SCHOOL
WHERE SHE WAS MURDERED ARE JUST
A FEW EXAMPLES THAT CAUSE ME
PAIN EVERY DAY WHEN I DRIVE DOWN
THE STREETS IN PARKLAND.
THE EFFECT ON OTHERWISE IS
UNIMAGINABLE.
BOTH IN THE FAMILY AND WITH
CLOSE FRIENDS.
IN THE FALL OF 2018 HER OLDER
BROTHER WENT TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL
DUE TO A FEELING OF BEING
UNCOMFORTABLE BEING AT MSD WHERE
HIS SISTER WAS MURDERED.
THIS BECAME AN UNEXPECTED
FINANCIAL COST.
.THE LAUGHTER, THE HUGS, THE
SENSE OF SECURITY AND THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, I LOVE YOU,
ARE FOREVER GONE.
THE CELEBRATION OF LOVE ON THE
NATIONAL HOLIDAY, VALENTINE’S
DAY, HAS ONLY BROUGHT ME BACK
SORROW AND MEMORIES OF THAT
TRAGIC DAY ON FEBRUARY 14, 2018.
AS WELL AS WHEN WE GATHER AT THE
STAR OF DAVID CEMETERY WITH
PRAYERS THAT ALISSA IS RESTING
IN HEAVEN.
>> THANK YOU.