Dont Forget to Remember Kayla

by Gina Hankins
(Ironton, Ohio)

Kayla was my beautiful nineteen year old daughter. We had recently went through some tough times as she rebelled like most teenagers do. But dealing with a teenage pregnancy and being a single parent brought us together once again. She had just listed me as her hero on web page, and I was so honored.

Kayla and her cousin had just moved into her first apartment. She was so proud of being independent and I was proud of her. We were planning her sons first birthday party. It was in two months. She was so excited. As she left the house I told her to be careful. She smiled and said she always was, since she was carrying precious merchandise in the back seat. I told Braden bye and promised Kayla I would come and get him in the morning so she could go on a job interview. She laughed and said "Thanks Mom."

A few hours later two patrolmen knocked on my door. They asked if I knew Kayla Hankins. When I told them she was my daughter, they told me that she was dead! I went into shock, I showed them her picture, they must have made a mistake. Then I asked about Braden. He was at the emergency room. My husband came home at this point and we rushed to the ER to get Braden. My other daughter was staying at a friends house, she had to be told. This nightmare was never going to end. After waiting for the autopsy, I finally got to see my baby. I walked slowly to the casket and looked at her. I grabbed her hand, it was felt frozen. I stroked her hair, the funeral director told me to be careful, there was a lot of damage and she must be handled delicately.

Minutes later, I was surrounded by over 600 people. They were waiting in lines around the block to tell Kayla goodbye. Her class from Rock Hill High School collected money and gave it to us. We used it to help buy her head stone.

I will never see my baby again. Her son will never remember the wonderful mother he had. A man that was over 3 times the legal limit hit her head on. She was in a Hyundai, he was driving a SUV. She was thrown into a creek, she never had a chance. By some miracle, Braden survived. I would have died myself if I did not have him and Krista to hold on to.

My life and that of my family will never be the same. We will always be grieving and missing my daughter.