Three Years Later

It’s crazy to think, three years ago today we were waiting with bated breath as my 5 year old nephew Rory went into neurological surgery to correct the injury in his spine. (Ayla, Rory’s 4 year old sister had less severe internal injuries and was starting her healing journey at Grandma’s house.) I stood with Tony as a surgeon explained everything to us, but even his unwavering (and well deserved) confidence could not put us as ease. It had only been 5 days since our lives changed when Rory’s mother, Tony’s wife, my sister, had been killed in a 47+ vehicle pile up on her way to our family Christmas. It was a very long wait, but the surgery was a success, and Rory would soon be on the road to recovery.

As we grappled to wrap our head around the loss of Julie and the baby she was carrying, we had no time to wallow. We had two small children who survived that loss, along with the accident that caused it. We had a brother who had lost his wife and was now a single father to two very broken children.  And the rest of us were torn between our own heartbreak and being at a loss to take the pain away from those we love so very much.

We also hadn’t yet realized that a comment my mom made to me the day after the accident would take our lives on the most wild, yet rewarding, ride of our lives. The day after the accident I was talking to my mom, Cindy, about the time the children spent unidentified while we were looking for them and Julie. She simply said “if only their emergency information had been on their car seats.”

At the time my son was 2 and we traveled together across the country, often far from family. I immediately got online to find something to put on his car seat so if anything ever happened to me, nurses at a hospital wouldn’t be scrambling to identify him and reach family. I quickly learned there was nothing on the market that was recognized by first responders coast to coast, and that is when my mother and I hit the ground running so no children were ever left broken and afraid the way Rory and his sister Ayla was.

Three years later, I am glad to report that Tony, Rory, and Ayla are all healthy and the physical wounds have healed well. I’m forever grateful that Julie chose Tony to build a life with, the kids are lucky to have such a strong, dedicated, and loving father. Our hearts still ache for Julie, but seeing the joy still in their eyes on Christmas gives us hope, and seeing Julie’s twinkle in their eyes reminds us she will never be forgotten.

I’m also glad to report that in the last three years, my family has developed the patent-pending ROTH ID TAG to keep families connected in emergency situations. We officially hit the market in April 2024, and in less than 2 years we have over 400.000+ tags on car seats in all 50 states and up to 19 different countries around the world. We get reports regularly from first responders who have found the ROTH ID TAG when they needed it, and the child involved had family waiting for them at the hospital before they even arrived. We also have more testimonials than I can count from parents and caregivers letting us know how much the ROTH ID TAG has given them peace of mind while they travel with their small children.

At the end of the day though, I am still a very broken hearted little sister, who misses her big sis more than words can say. I’m still at a loss for words everyday when it comes to the profound grief that comes with losing a sibling. Our family has survived this through finding a purpose in keeping children protected in similar situations. I’m grateful every day for the strength of each and every family member and friend that has helped us turn this tragedy into something more meaningful, and I just wanted to take this time to say “Thank You” to everyone that has helped us along the way.

Learn More about the ROTH ID TAG