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Grade
12

The story I am going tell is a true story and I am telling it because others could be going through similar situations. They need to know that they are not alone and never will be. It all starts when Angel’s parents found out they were pregnant and how they found out. Angel’s mom (Carol) was receiving the depo shot every three months, but later when she went to go get it again found out she was pregnant with Angel. She then told Angel’s dad (Gordon) that she was pregnant. Gordon’s reaction was him saying “you're pregnant” and hoping for a baby boy because her mom wanted a baby girl.

Angel was born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee in 1996 and lived there until she was 7, she then moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan. Angel’s family moved because of Angel’s niece Nicole. Nicole’s grandparents wanted to take her away but did not have a legal right to. Nicole’s mother, Mandy, had custody of her and she married Angel’s brother Red. The family decided to move for this because Angel’s family love’s Angel’s niece. Her family didn't want people who were only interested in drama and hurting others in her life.  

Angel’s family moved up to Ypsilanti, Michigan and stayed with Angel’s sister Jean and her husband with there two sons and daughter Caroline. They stayed there as long as they could but Angel’s family couldn’t stay there forever. During this time Caroline and Angel grew close to one another.  People could never tell Caroline and Angel apart because they always looked alike when they were kids. That is why there mother’s always dressed them alike.

When Angel’s family left Jean’s home Angel’s family had to stay in a camper for a few months because they didn't have anywhere else to go. After the camper  they moved to Duncan and lived there for a while. Later, Angel’s family moved from Duncan to the Taco Bell house. The family called the house the ‘Taco Bell House’ because a Taco Bell was right across the street from the house.  Angel’s family ended up living there for a couple year’s and during this time at the Taco Bell House Angel’s nephew Allen was born.

Gordon had yard sales at the Taco Bell House and Angel would help him with them. During this time Carol came upstairs and found Angel laying down on the bed.  Angel’s eyes were closed and she would not wake up! Angel’s mom carried Angel down the twisted stairs all by herself, but ended up dropping her. Carol finally got Angel down the stairs and told Gordon that Angel needed to go to the hospital right away!

They went to St. Joseph Mercy hospital in Ypsilanti and were there for three hours. They still couldn’t figure out what was wrong with Angel; so they sent Angel and her mom to the University of Michigan hospital where it only took them one hour to figure out was wrong. They told Angel’s family that she was having seizures. The hospital kept Angel in a coma for a day and a half. After a while in the hospital Angel finally got to go home.

Later on, Angel’s parents were not getting along. Carol decided it was time to leave and she took Angel and her brother Kenneth with her. She was going to take Angel and Kenneth back to Tennessee, but then she decided against it because she believed they should have their father in their life. They still moved out of Angel’s fathers’ but stayed near where both Angel and Kenneth would have their dad in their life.

This was the start of the family living apart; Angel and Kenneth lived with their mom and would go see their dad every weekend. When they were at their dad’s they also got to see their other brother Red and his wife Mandy and her kids Nicole and Allen. Kenneth began missing their dad more and more and soon decided he wanted to live with their dad. He wanted to live with him so badly that in the middle of the night he left and went to his dad’s while Angel stayed with their mom. While this was happening Angel’s niece Rose was born, and Angel got to see her every weekend because Rose lived with her dad.  At her dad’s every weekend Angel got to see all seven dogs! At her mom’s house they only had one dog and one cat.

Angel began growing up and liking boys and soon her dad and her had a heart to heart about her growing up. Her dad didn't want his little girl growing up too fast or getting pregnant or anything else. After this conversation Angel began pulling back from her dad a little because she felt like he didn't have any faith in her choices. Angel continued to go to her dad’s every weekend even after this happened. Her dad had a new girlfriend that Angel met during one of her weekends there. The night they met Angel’s brother started talking to their dad’s girlfriend while Angel was sitting nearby with her head down. Her brother was telling their dad’s girlfriend stuff about her mom. During the conversation their dad’s girlfriend said that their mom should be dead and ended up getting up and leaving.

Their dad wanted to know what was wrong but she just texted her mom saying she wanted to go home. Angel didn't go see her dad for a while after that. After she did start going back, she ended up in another fight with her dad’s girlfriend because his girlfriend told her brother he couldn't have chips and Angel’s believed you don't tell a child no to food. She then decided she wasn't going to her dad’s unless his girlfriend wasn't there. This brought the family to the day they celebrated their dad’s last birthday.

Angel’s mom and Angel went to the store to buy her dad and her brother both cakes. Carol wanted to just get a six and a one candle but Angel told her mom she wanted to actually get sixty-one candles for his cake. They decided to get the actual sixtyone candles. By the end of the day Angel and her relatives, Amy and Nick, were lighting sixty one candles with two lighters and one torch. This birthday was, and remains, Angel’s favorite birthday party for her dad.

On September 6, 2012 Angel was in school for the day but didn't feel good. She decided to text her mom to come get her. They were going to go to her dad’s so her dad’s girlfriend could dye Angel’s hair.  Angel was in Spanish class waiting for the front office to call so she could leave. Her phone started to vibrate she looked down and did not know the number calling so she did not answer. The front office finally called and said her mother was there to pick her up. She walked to the front office and when she got close her mother began rushing her to the exit.

Angel didn’t know what was going on so she asked her mom but her mom wouldn't tell her until after they were in the car. She told Angel that her dad was sick. They drove to her dad’s house and her dad was already in an ambulance, but the ambulance was not moving. Angel’s family was just standing around waiting, trying to see what was going on. Everyone there was crying.

Angel’s sister Jean and niece Caroline showed up just after Angel and her mom. While everyone was standing around waiting Nick decided to go look in the ambulance. When Nick looked in the ambulance he dropped to his knees. Kenneth then went to look and when he did he took off running. Angel and Nick went after him and found him after he had punched something. Nick calmed Kenneth down and then they told Angel what they had seen in the ambulance.

Angel couldn’t believe it, her dad was receiving CPR; right then she just didn't want anyone to touch or be near her as she sat on the grass crying.  Kenneth had to ride to the hospital in an ambulance because he broke down. Then Angel saw the paramedics giving her dad CPR because the paramedics let the amuence door’s open a little. Finally the ambulance started moving and everyone piled into a car to follow it. Angel’s Uncle Craig and cousin Lynn had also arrived by then too.  Angel still couldn't believe what was happening to her dad and she didn't want to.

Angel’s and her mom were following the ambulance and Angel couldn't stop thinking about what was happening and continued to cry. When they got to the hospital they put all of Angel’s family in a room to wait. The only person missing was her brother Kenneth; the doctors had put him in a room to keep him from hurting himself or others.

The doctor finally came into the room to talk to the family.  Angel couldn’t believe what the doctor said. He said that Gordon (Angel’s dad) had passed away. He had suffered a heart attack and grand mal seizure. Everyone started crying when they heard the news. Angel was crying with everyone but made sure the kids were fine before she took care of herself.

Angel felt alone in that moment, even though she knew she wasn't alone and was surrounded by her entire family. Angel went home that night and stayed in her room curled up in her bed crying until she couldn't cry anymore. Her last thought that night was that she wished she had both her parents here on earth because she was only fifteen and needed both parents.

In the days following Gordon’s passing Angel began dreading the funeral arrangements. Her dad’s viewing was planned for family and friends, but the funeral was just for family. Angel’s family asked Angel’s pastor at the time to do the service. Angel was happy that they asked him because her dad and the pastor were friends.

Angel invited her best friend Leaha to the viewing because she needed a friend there for support and Leaha had also known Angel’s dad. The viewing began with music. One of the songs that played was ‘My Little Girl’ by Tim McGraw, this song played because it was Angel and her dad’s song. After that song  Angel’s nieces Nicole, Rose, and Caroline, cousin Lynn and best friend Leaha and herself got up to sing ‘Amazing Grace’ for Angel’s dad. After they sung this song people took turns speaking about Angel’s dad and their memories of him.  

Not even a month after Angel’s dad had passed away Angel’s friend took her niece Nicole and nephews Allen,Lee and Tyler out and ended up in a car accident. Angel went to the hospital and saw Nicole and Lee first. Lee wasn't too bad, but Nicole had a lot wrong with her. Afterwards she saw Tyler and he only had scraps and bruises but Allen was in surgery. After Angel saw her nieces and nephews she couldn't stop shaking or crying. Her brother then asked Angel if she wanted to go see if her friend was okay and she said yes. They walked over together to check on her friend.

All that mattered to her in that moment was that everyone was okay. She went home and spent time with Rose while her brother and sister were at the hospital. After the visits to the hospital Angel’s family blamed her and became angry with her because she had visited her friend who caused the accident in the hospital. Some of her family thought and felt that she cared about her friend more then her niece and nephews. The truth was she cared for them all and wanted them all to come out of that accident alive! They could handle everything else later.

The family still blamed her and stayed angry at her. While Angel was trying to handle everything she became too stressed and too worried. She ended up in the hospital because she had an epileptic seizure caused by the stress and worry. The epileptic seizure caused her to lose some of her memories for a couple days, but she recovered well. During this time her family started realizing what had happened wasn’t Angel’s fault. Angel still  felt like she wasn't wanted for a while by her family except for her niece’s and nephews, her mom and her friends Leaha,Tabby and Cole.

It is now 2017 and a lot has happened to Angel since 2012. Angel and her niece Caroline  have had their ups and downs growing up but are now closer than ever. Angel spends a lot of time with her cousin Lynn and has now met her cousin Jake and his wife Sky and their two sons Hunter and Max. She has a pet now that she calls her son, named Little Cat. Angel and Little Cat still live with her mom even though she’s now 20.

She want’s to finish school and go to college before anything else and plans on studying Photography. Before she can get into the Photography program in college she plans on attending a training session and getting an internship. Sadly, all of her nieces and nephews are not in her life anymore but that has never changed her love for them. She has continued singing, and most recently sung at an event called ‘The Noise Permit’, where she dedicates songs to her parents.

Besides her mother one of her favorite family members is her Uncle Craig, because he has been there for her as well as his wife Ginger. Uncle Craig may not be her father, but he has been there for her since her father passed and she appreciates him just like her father. Days and years pass but every single day she never stops missing her Dad and will never forget that day when her life changed.

Angel has her good and bad days still but she lives to make herself and her parents proud of her. Her life isn’t perfect but she’s living on. That is the story of Angel and her dad’s life.