heartbreaking but heartwarming story
11/18/03 ~ 10:55 a.m.
my boss told me a story that has been making me tear up all morning. i'll share it with you.
a 19 year old named patrick o'day grew up here in santa rosa. he married his high school sweetheart, shauna. he was in the marines and went off to iraq when she was 1 month pregnant. he died when she was 3 months pregnant. (news articles i found online, with pictures: 1, 2, 3). her baby girl was born in september, 6 months to the day that he died.
well, in addition to getting some help from different veteran's groups, a man named rick beleson also stepped up. he works for a company that is in charge of amrican funds, a mutal fund company that offers wonderful college investment accounts. he raised over $5k, added his own $15k, and opened up a college fund for the unborn child here at my boss' office.
shauna o'day is meeting her benefactor today, here at my boss' office. then they are going to a rotary meeting where there will be speeches, and, most definitely, tears.
isn't that wonderful? she lost everything...but now has a baby to remember him by, and people helping her financially.
hey! she just walked in! the baby is so little. :) so now we're just waiting for mr. beleson.
i hope *i* don't start crying!
~holly~
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