Most people like to have a little fun from time to time. But what happens when having fun leads to an unimaginable loss? Rick Ellis, a man from Arkansas, is trying to tell people just how common this is. How does he know? Well, he’s experienced it himself.
Several years ago, Rick lost his 6-year-old daughter in a car crash. This accident was due to drunk driving and could have easily been avoided. And as you can imagine, Rick was absolutely heartbroken by this event. He knew that he had to do something to stop drunk drivers on the road. After all, that’s why his daughter lost her life at such a young age.
But what makes the situation even harder for Rick was the fact that he knew the driver of the car that killed his daughter.
The driver was Rick’s ex-wife, Christy. She had a problem with drinking and partying that ultimately led to their daughter’s death. But Christy didn’t just party at home. She drank and drove, which is one of the most dangerous things you can do. And Rick wants to point out just how dangerous and reckless this kind of activity can be.
Standing at his daughter’s gravestone in 2014, he delivers a heartfelt message about how his daughter died and what his new mission in life is.
He wants to let everyone know why they should stop partying and focus on what matters most. If that’s what his ex-wife had done, his daughter would still be alive, growing up in a happy home with parents who love her.
He looks at the camera and says:
“I’m going to show you something that is the end result of your partying on Friday nights, Saturday nights, whenever. Want to get drunk, play around, get stupid? This is what happens…”
Then, he turns the camera around, so it is facing a gravestone.
Both his daughter’s and ex-wife’s names are on the headstone: Christy M. Johnson Ellis and Lindsey Kay Ellis.
He reveals what happened that night that his daughter passed away.
Her mother, Christy, had lost her job and had been out of work for about three months. Although she drank before, it was at this point that she started drinking more heavily. Her partying was getting out of control, but she still thought she was doing fine and was capable of taking care of her daughter.
Christy was with her new boyfriend and her daughter. The three decided to take a trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama, for some time at the beach and fun in the sun. But then, Christy and her new boyfriend got in an argument. They were both drunk, and Christy wanted to take off with Lindsey to get away from the boyfriend.
But since she was under the influence, she was unfit to operate a car. She got in her vehicle anyway and took off with her little girl. It wasn’t long until Christy hit a guardrail. The vehicle then flipped, killing both mother and daughter instantly.
Rick didn’t know what to do to make this event mean something in his life.
After all, how do you make sense of your daughter dying? But then, as he stood at his baby’s grave, he knew what he had to do. He wanted to share his heartache with the world to encourage people to give up partying and drinking to be responsible family members instead.
He felt like God had called him to deliver this message. Not only did he post the video on social media, but he has now been on talk shows, radio, and TV to deliver his message. He wants people who struggle with addiction to know that there is help for them out there and that they should find a way to get clean before they lose everything.
Hopefully, Rick’s message will continue to touch and inspire those around him.
If even one person rethinks their decisions due to Rick’s words, he will know that his pain isn’t meaningless.
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