On Sunday May 10, 2009 (Mother's Day) Robin Scholz and his 9 year old granddaughter, Nehalah, were on their way to meet Nehalah's dad after spending the weekend with her Grandma and Grandpa as well as an Aunt visiting from California. They were on Grandpa's motorcycle when an 89 year old woman collided with them while making a turn off Highway 195 about three miles south of Spokane, WA.
Nehalah was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center where she later passed away. Robin was taken to Deaconess Medical Center, where he remains in a drug-induced coma with serious injuries to both of his legs. He has already underwent a couple of surgeries to repair the massive damage to his legs and is facing several more. That's not the worst part of his recovery process that he will have to face, since he has been in a coma since the accident he will only wake up to find out about the devasting loss of his grand baby, Nehalah.
Robin and his wife, Sue recently relocated back to Washington from Michican, where Robin had recently lost his 20 year position with Alcoa. They had wanted to move back to Washington for some time so they could be closer to their family, especially Nehalah. Sue had just underwent back surgery not even a month ago and is still recovering, so not only is she dealing with the loss of her grand baby and her own recovery, she is going to have some difficult times ahead of her with Robin's recovery as well.
The reason I am posting about this tragedy is because Sue and Robin are my aunt and uncle, and Nehalah was my cousin. Our entire family is mourning over this unnecessary loss and we just want to make sure we can do everything we can to help each other get through this dark time.
A memorial fund has been set up at Chewelah Bank of America - 108 N Park St, in the name of Nehalah May as well as a Robin Scholz Benefit Account at the Bank of Fairfield - 201 W. North River Dr. Suite 305 Spokane, WA 99201 contact is Jenny Sampson 509-328-6000 jsampson@bankoffairfield.com Checks can be made out to Beverly Susan Scholz and in the memo put ' Robin Scholz Benefit account'. The donations made will be used for Robin's medical expenses as well as helping Nehalah's mother, Jessica, who lost her job due to this tragedy.
Our family extends it's thanks and gratitude for anything you are able to do to help - and that includes your thoughts and prayers.
The driver of the car who hit Robin and Nehalah was sited for 2nd degree negligent driving. This will result in a $550 fine- period!
ReplyDeleteLaws pertaining to older drivers need to change. We've all seen it... the old person who pulls into traffic without looking over their shoulder, the old person who hops the curb pulling out of a driveway.
There needs to be much strickter testing for aging drivers; yearly behind the wheel testing, extensive vision testing, reation time testing.
Wake up America! Old people are 2nd only to teen drivers in causing wrecks.
My poor sweet great niece didn't have a chance against that 89 year old driver.
Rest in Peace, Nehalah, Auntie loves you.
I miss her a lot. Life is really upside down right now, and the fallout (finding a cheaper place to live because Jess can't work, trying to care for my son while Jess rests, trying to pack and move, all while trying to work MORE)...it just adds to the grief in a lot of ways.
ReplyDeleteBut she was just a gift in my life. I got to be with a very creative, fun, and opinionated :) little girl for 3 years. I would find myself saying to myself (in my head) 'this is such a gift...you would never have a little girl in your life' every two or three days--literally!
We find little notes around the house now as we pack up to move. Little puzzles she created, rhymes she was working on...I found a Spiderman Valentine's 'I Love You' for me that I'll keep in a safe place forever.
She was the best big sister I EVER could have hoped for in regard to my son, Gabriel. She was patient with him beyond all reason, taught him things, dressed him...she was a massive part of his world that we're now trying to offset. Every time we pass anything that looks like a park, he says 'kids! kids!' because he desperately wants to play with someone.
But as much as we hurt a bit during the day, we remember how great she was and is in our lives. Even our bad days weren't that bad, between she and I! I never raised my voice to Nehalah...never wanted to...never had to. She was such a smart little girl, that if there was something that wasn't quite going right, we'd work it out by talking it through.
Just a few weeks before she died, she was getting pretty indignant with me about how much 'precision' I was making her put into her homework. She got quite an attitude going, and so I asked her to go to her room. I sat for a few minutes and knocked on her door. I said:
'Honey, I make you work a bit harder because someday this will mean so much to you. And this is just a fraction of the kind of work I had to do as a kid, because I don't want you to be miserable doing your homework, I want you to see that doing good work gives you better and better things in your life. But I want you to know, that I love you. I love you so much. You are the little girl I never thought I'd get to have in my life.'
She didn't expect that. She got tears in her eyes and so did I...and now, looking back, I'm so glad I said all that.
So often, we don't say the things that are right there to say, because we assume we'll have another opportunity. I don't want to live in the fear of missed opportunities, but in the case of Nehalah, I can honestly say I never took her for granted. Even when I didn't want to play hide-n-seek, or some new game she was inventing because I was too tired...I'd almost always suck it up in a few minutes time, and I'd find myself right back to that conversation with myself...'this is such a gift'. Literally, 8 out of 10 evenings with Nehalah followed just that pattern for me.
So part of me knows she can never really die...but part of me is stuck here, dealing with massive fallout and grief and exhaustion, and finding all these little notes she left, and drawings she made, and watching her little brother try to find a new way to play.
And it's just tough. Thanks to everyone who's supporting all the family through this, especially Ron and Jessy, who have perhaps lost the most.
I love and miss you, sweetie, and there are songs in my mind and coming into recordings that will be just for you...
Michael