Andrew Kennedy with
younger sister, Haley Warren.
kindergarten teacher, knows a child who spent
pre-kindergarten with both legs in a cast after
an ATV injury. “It’s so commonplace around
here. Even as a mother you don’t think about it
until you’re confronted with it,” she said.
There have been other accidents in the area
as well. After a young couple received severe
injuries on a four-wheeler at a river swamp
and were hospitalized, the community strongly
supported ATV safety for around half a year,
according to Kennedy. She said that a similar
period of awareness followed Andrew’s death,
as well as another accident.
“We forget until something else happens,”
she said. “Washington Parish has lost so many
young people, it’s scary.”
Kennedy has three reasons that she continues
to share Andrew’s story: to show how Andrew’s
life honored God, to keep his memory alive
and to promote ATV safety awareness and
organ donation. Andrew was an organ donor;
his organs saved five lives and gave eyesight to
another.
“He was a fabulous person to know. I haven’t
met anyone who had anything bad to say about
him,” Kennedy said. “I can deal with Andrew’s
death because I know where he is. I think every
mother should have that peace. If his story can
be used as testimony to help others, I can deal
with losing my son.”
For more information on ATV safety, visit
atvsafety.org.
Andrew Kennedy died as a
result of an ATV accident in
2016.
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