Francisco died at the tender age of 18, the victim of two teenage drivers who had had too much to drink and who decided to play a dangerous game with their vehicles. Like in many other tragic stories, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. His ride met a girl at the party so Francisco had to find another way of getting home. He was almost home but it wasn’t meant to be; Francisco was not to come home again.
Francisco’s young nephew had a difficult upbringing and at the age of 14, alcohol became a way to escape his reality. He was very mature for his age and so he hung out with friends much older than he was. Friends who could buy alcohol or whose friends or family members could buy alcohol for them. It seems that it’s amazingly easy for teenagers to get their hands on alcohol. There was never a shortage of beer or tequila.
He liked the way alcohol made him feel. He was cool and funny and the girls found him attractive. His life began to spiral downward when he began to commit acts of vandalism after a night of drinking with friends. He was arrested several times and even spent some time at the juvenile correction facility.
Francisco’s young nephew cried and hurt for his uncle when he passed away; however, he didn’t seem to make the connection that his drinking increased his chances of being involved in an accident that might take his life, too. His parents pleaded with him and time and time again he promised them that he had everything under control. Francisco’s nephew’s life was going nowhere fast. He had to be extricated from that harmful environment and so after much discussion, he reluctantly went to live with his aunt and uncle in another city. He is doing well now but it has not been an easy process. When it came to drinking, Francisco’s nephew seemed to need to hear from people outside his immediate family, people who had not “nagged” him before. Maintaining Francisco’s nephew occupied has been essential in keeping him out of trouble… for the most part. Once in a while, Francisco’s nephew will complain about how strict his new home life is; however, his aunt and uncle are not afraid to point out that drinking alcohol and acting irresponsibly took away a most precious life. That always quiets his complaints.
--- Veronica Garcia, Goodyear