Time may shift perspective but it does not heal the pain suffered by a parent following the loss of a child.
“People say it’s time to forget, to move on … what people don’t realize is that every single morning you wake up – if you slept the night before – and the first thing you think of is that your child isn’t here,” said Cochranite Kim Thomas, who lost her son, Brandon, to a drunk driver in 2012.
Dec. 6 marked four years since the tragic death of the 17-year-old, who was struck and killed by Ryan Jordan Gibson, who was 22-years-old at the time and more than 2.5 times the legal limit.
Since the loss of her son, Kim has thrown herself headfirst into championing for stricter penalties for those who cause harm to others from impaired driving; raising awareness for drunk driving and the firsthand impacts on families; and creating a legacy for her son through scholarships in his honour.
Kim continues to work with Families for Justice by collecting signatures to pressure the federal government to impose stricter penalties for those who cause harm or death as a result of impaired driving.
The story of the Thomas family serves as a reminder this Christmas season when drinking and driving tends to peak.
According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of all crashes involve alcohol or drugs and 50 per cent of those crashes involve youth between 18 and 25.
“We will continue to speak out against drunk driving,” said Kim. “Please don’t drink and drive – the effects are devastating.”
The annual Show Your Ride For Brandon show & shine event has grown to more than 600 entries over the last four years with funds going towards the Brandon Thomas Memorial scholarship and endowment fund through the Southern Alberta Institute for Technology (SAIT).
It was Brandon’s dream to finish his Grade 12 year and study at SAIT to become a licensed mechanic.
The story of the Thomas family is also a part of the book series Grief Diaries: Shattered, which examines the grief experienced by 25 families in the aftermath of lost loved ones from drunk driving. The book is written by Lynda Cheldelin Fell and Bill and Julie Downs with contributions made by Kim and is available for purchase through amazon.com.
Gibson, who pleaded guilty to driving over .08 causing death and driving over .08 causing death was sentenced to two years and eight months in 2014. Before his truck struck and killed Brandon, he also sideswiped two other vehicles.
Although Gibson appealed the 32-month sentence, the verdict was upheld. He served less than half his sentence and was released on full parole in August 2015.
The Facebook group Cochrane Moms Coming Together saw more than 360 posts of blue hearts on Dec. 6 – honouring the Thomas family and the memory of Brandon.
