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Austin Morales

My name is Jasmine Chavez Morales and on February 19, 2016, my world came to a complete stop.  I am sharing my story with you in an effort to raise awareness and funds for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).  Please read my journey and consider donating today.

My husband, Austin Morales was 23 years old when he was killed by a repeat drunk driving offender.  The offender did not only hit my husband, but left him to die on the street by himself while he fled the scene and left behind his teenage daughter in the passenger seat of his car.  To this day, I am haunted by the memory of seeing my husband dead on a hospital bed.

Austin was loving, caring, had a heart of servitude and was so full of life.  We have three beautiful girls, Eden (4), Avery (3), and Mercy (1).  Our girls were Austin’s world.   Now, I have a shattered heart and am a widow and single mother at the age of 20. My children were robbed of their innocence, I was robbed of the love of my life, and Austin was robbed of growing old.  During all developmental stages of our daughter’s lives, my heart breaks knowing Austin is not there to share them.  He will never get to see Mercy’s first steps, see our girls go to prom, graduate high school or get married.   My three-year-old shouldn’t have to know that daddy is now only in her heart or daddy is in the flowers (referring to the cemetery).  My oldest shouldn’t have to ask why her daddy couldn’t bring her to school like the other daddies were doing with other children. For the longest time, at dinner or family events Eden would save a little bit of her food saying it was for her daddy when he came home.  I couldn’t even explain that her daddy was never coming back.

This is my world and this is my ongoing journey. It was preventable and should have never happened.  I should be with my husband and he should be with his family. My life and the lives of all my children will be forever changed.

MADD was there for my family through the whole process of the criminal proceedings and helped me in so many different ways.  I am grateful for my local MADD Southern California Advocate and the advocacy she provided.  In a time when I was lost she helped guide me through a process I knew nothing about or was ready to handle.