It's been two years of what I'd like to call my journey of picking up the broken pieces. I call it this because that is exactly what has been left for me and my family to do, that is, to pick ourselves back up and try to put our lives back together, not only as a family but as individuals.
On January 17, 2015, our lives were torn apart in just four seconds, torn apart and left forever broken because of a career criminal, Shawn Rehn, who had been let back out onto the streets after a bail hearing, a bail hearing that didn't disclose his lengthy criminal record. These four seconds could have been prevented, and my husband would still be here today. Every day for the past two years, I have woken up and realized that Dave is really gone. I start each day crying in the shower. Every day I have to pull myself together and try to continue living and play the role of both parents—and that's not easy. Every day I have to watch my children grow and try to continue their lives without their father.
Every day we are reminded so many times that he is no longer here, and it breaks our hearts that we can't have those simple moments back that we had every single day with him. There were the moments of hearing the cereal bowl hitting the table in the morning and his asking who ate the last of his Froot Loops and the simple moments of hearing the teapot rattle and knowing that it was three o'clock because Dave was making afternoon tea. I even miss the moments of him complaining about how I made the bed in the morning. All those little moments add up during the day, and we are reminded every single moment that he is not there.
Our lives have changed in a way you would never understand unless you have walked the path. I am so grateful for the people I have in my life who have had to walk this path as well. We call it a bittersweet relationship because we're thankful for each other—but we wish we had never met. It's a life that we wish no one should have to live.
There is not enough time today to explain or tell you the struggles that we have to go through every single day of our lives and will continue to go through every single day. However, I'm going to share just one moment with you, one that happened a few weeks ago. This is a pretty significant moment.
When Dave was shot, he was taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. I had to go back there after this had happened, and I thought that first meeting would be the worst and that I'd get it out of my system, and that would be it. Just recently, I had to go there for work. When driving there, I was very anxious but was able to get through the day.
Just before I left, I caught a glimpse of the emergency entrance, and then I saw an ambulance. In those few seconds, I was taken back immediately to the night that Dave was shot and reminded of everything that we had to go through in those four days that followed. In those few seconds, I could feel everything, the chest pain, the anxiety, the feeling of not being able to breathe, and the uncontrollable tears that were rolling down my face. It was like it was happening all over again.
These are the things we are reminded of daily, and trust me, it happens every single day—not to this degree, but it happens every single day. We are constantly reminded of what has happened and that Dave is not with us anymore. This is so draining, not only emotionally, but physically. This affects not only me, but also my children. It affects Dave's mother and it affects his sisters. By changing this one simple word, another family can be saved from going through this heartache and torture that we have to go through every single day. This is something that absolutely no one should have to endure.
I ask you to, please, do the right thing. Make this change and make our streets a safer place to be, not only for our law enforcement, but for everyone.
This can affect the safety of every single person in our country, including you and your loved ones.
Thank you.