In Memory of Alayna Bowman

September 1st is Alayna Brianne Bowman’s birthday. She turned 17 and is the daughter of a dear friend I have known for 26 years. If you had ever said to me that one day my friend would lose her child at the hands of a drunk driver, I would have thought you were crazy and delusional. But who in their right mind would ever say or think that to begin with?

June 23, 2010, 10:30 pm. That is the moment when a drunk driver took the life of my friend’s 16 year old daughter. Sweet, beautiful, full of life Alayna was killed by a 22 year old who T-boned her car as she was turning into her own driveway with her 13 year old brother by her side. By the grace of God her brother survived.

The driver who walked away uninjured, has been in jail for previous DUI convictions and was driving with a suspended license. Since receiving the news I have not been able to wrap my head or heart around this tragic event. It’s been 2 months and a somber summer.

While I am beyond angry and devastated for my friend and her family, I don’t want to focus my time and energy on the tragedy or the person that took Alayna’s life. He will get his punishment one day.

I want you to know what an amazing person Alayna was and what an amazing job my friends were doing as parents. They spent the past 16 years raising a bright, energetic, passionate, kind and beautiful lady who brought joy and love to the world.

Alayna was making a positive impact and contribution to this crazy world we live in. She was a leader, a friend, a granddaughter, a sister;  the kind of young woman any mother would be proud to call Daughter.

Last fall Alayna’s mom and I planned our 20 year class reunion together and our families spent the weekend at the host hotel. I had just had a baby four weeks prior and been in a panic all day, not sure about what to wear and feeling extremely insecure. When I stopped by my friend’s room that evening before our big event, Alayna immediately said to me “I love your dress, where did you get it?” I have to say that one comment made my night and totally lifted my spirits. That was Alayna.

I recently watched an interview of Lee Woodruff who said “In situations like these, you either get bitter or get better”. This touched and inspired me to help spread the word about Alayna so the people who loved her could continue pushing through the healing process.

I have very little experience with this type of situation and to be honest, I feel helpless.  I have no idea how to help ease my friend’s pain, however I can’t just sit back and do nothing.

If you are reading this, please help honor Alayna’s life by doing all or one of the following. Even if you did not know her personally, sharing her story could help others and save a life. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Take a moment to read the celebration of Alayna’s life published by her high school newspaper.

1.    Donate to the “Alayna Bowman Memorial Scholarship Fund for Spirit and Excellent” via PayPal.com at [email protected].

2.    Sign the Pledge To Eliminate Drunk Driving http://ow.ly/2xGCw

3. Support ignition interlocks for all convicted DUI offenders. http://ow.ly/2xGDD

4. Forward this to a friend, tweet about it, post this link on FB and keep Alayna’s spirit alive.