WKBT La Crosse, WI-NewsChannel 8-Tomah Family Honors Their Son By Keeping His Dream Alive

Reported by Lara Reed

Tomah Family Honors Their Son By Keeping His Dream Alive

In just 17 years the impact Jesse Parker made on the Tomah community is an impressive one.

His cross country coach Bruce Luebke says, "This was really a good individual.  He was going in the right direction.  He was bascially everybody's friend.  He was a motivator.  Someone you wanted your kids to be like."

But on July 4th Jesse's path was cut short.  A driver smashed into the side of his family's car as they drove home from Florida.  Jesse was killed in the accident and his 16-year-old sister Bria was left fighting for her life.

Jesse's mother Jenny says, "The moment we found out in the hospital in Georgia that our son had died was an awful moment and we weren't sure if Bria was going to make it.  I was lying on a gurnee and my husband came in and our room was spinning and we said to each other two things we still say, we will stay together, we will take care of this family and we will honor our son."

The Parkers say Jesse wanted to make a difference and help others in the world.  It was that drive that lead him to the dream of becoming an engineer and working with the Peace Corps to bring clean water to children in Africa.

"The bottom line was he wanted to make a difference. He wanted to make an impact," says Jenny.

Now the Parkers have picked up that dream in honor of their son.  Through the campaign Charity Water: Born in September the Parkers set up a fund for Jesse, who would have been 18 on September 18th.  They want people to honor Jesse by supporting a cause that was close to his heart.

Jenny says, "So that's how we've chosen to honor Jesse's birthday which we know is going to be a miserable, very difficult day for us, but it feels good to know we can somehow bring his hope, his promise to the world."

The Parker family says the Tomah community and high school have helped them stay strong over the last two months.  Jesse had an obvious impact on his friends and classmates.  It can be seen with initials on football helmets, and on cross country jerseys, it can be found in red bracelets, and t-shirts, and by the star hanging above the high school office honoring the only Tomah High School student killed in the last 10 years.

Luebke says, "I think it's tough at their age to deal with what they've had to deal with so I think anything they can do to promote that memory and help them work through it and become better through the tragedy is good."

"I think every parent knows their child is special to them, but you don't always know your child is special to someone else and when you see that it's amazing and helps keep us going," adds Jenny.

And as they go forward from here, this family does so by honoring the son that left such an impact on them, and the community.

The Charity Water: Born in September campaign asks people with September birthdays to give up their presents or birthday parties and instead ask family and friends to donate money.

You can make a donation in Jesse's honor by visiting www.charitywater.org/birthdays/fundraiser/sept/view/2547.