Fil-Am channels grief into advocacies after losing son killed by drunk driver

Bev Llorente | TFC News Nevada

<figure class='op-interactive'><iframe height='315' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/aG59-fI90aw?enablejsapi=1' width='560'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more News on <a href='https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news' target='_blank'>iWantTFC</a></div>In the early hours of February in 2017, the world of those who knew the 16-year-old Filipino-American Jaelan Fajardo stood still.A promising day turned tragic when a drunk driver careened into Fajardo's car, stealing his bright future in an instant.<a data-ved='2ahUKEwifvKiQi5uDAxVAklYBHU05AzQQFnoECAkQAQ' href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/02/14/17/pinoy-teen-killed-in-las-vegas-car-accident' jsname='UWckNb' ping='/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/02/14/17/pinoy-teen-killed-in-las-vegas-car-accident&ved=2ahUKEwifvKiQi5uDAxVAklYBHU05AzQQFnoECAkQAQ'>Pinoy teen killed in Las Vegas car accident</a>Fajardo's death shattered the world of his mother, Marcia Joson, and all those who were close to him."Every day he is always in my mind," said Joson. "I think about him and I miss him a lot.”Said Fajardo's friend Josh Binamira: "I think about all the things he could be doing right now, all the things that we could have been doing, he he looked light. All those were cut short."Despite the loss of her son, Marcia found a way to turn her grief into something meaningful.She turned toward leading an awareness campaign against what took her son. Marcia now supports two non-profit organizations, the "Mothers Against Drunk Driving," and the "Stop Road Crashes," where she meets with victims of drunk driving and the family members of those who lost their loved ones to such cases.“I'm still fighting and I'm raising awareness," said Jonson. "So, my message to everyone is be responsible. We pledge to drive safe so other people can survive."MADD organizer Lindsey Valdez stressed the importance of collective action to put a stop to deaths resulting from drunk driving."We come together as a community to support victims and families who have been through the horrific tragedy," she said. "[Drunk driving] is 100% preventable. We want to raise awareness and support those who have been impacted."A measure was presented to the Nevada state legislature in 2019 which sought to increase the jail time for drunk driving from the original seven years to 10.<a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/09/28/17/mom-of-fil-am-killed-by-drunk-driver-pushes-for-stiffer-dui-penalties'>Mom of Fil-Am killed by drunk driver pushes for stiffer DUI penalties</a>The piece of legislation, however, failed to pass. Despite this, Jonson hopes that the measure, named after her son, will be revived.She is also determined to continue using what happened on that fateful day in 2017 as a catalyst for change.

<a data-ved='2ahUKEwifvKiQi5uDAxVAklYBHU05AzQQFnoECAkQAQ' href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/02/14/17/pinoy-teen-killed-in-las-vegas-car-accident' jsname='UWckNb' ping='/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/02/14/17/pinoy-teen-killed-in-las-vegas-car-accident&ved=2ahUKEwifvKiQi5uDAxVAklYBHU05AzQQFnoECAkQAQ'>Pinoy teen killed in Las Vegas car accident</a>Fajardo's death shattered the world of his mother, Marcia Joson, and all those who were close to him."Every day he is always in my mind," said Joson. "I think about him and I miss him a lot.”Said Fajardo's friend Josh Binamira: "I think about all the things he could be doing right now, all the things that we could have been doing, he he looked light. All those were cut short."Despite the loss of her son, Marcia found a way to turn her grief into something meaningful.She turned toward leading an awareness campaign against what took her son. Marcia now supports two non-profit organizations, the "Mothers Against Drunk Driving," and the "Stop Road Crashes," where she meets with victims of drunk driving and the family members of those who lost their loved ones to such cases.“I'm still fighting and I'm raising awareness," said Jonson. "So, my message to everyone is be responsible. We pledge to drive safe so other people can survive."MADD organizer Lindsey Valdez stressed the importance of collective action to put a stop to deaths resulting from drunk driving."We come together as a community to support victims and families who have been through the horrific tragedy," she said. "[Drunk driving] is 100% preventable. We want to raise awareness and support those who have been impacted."A measure was presented to the Nevada state legislature in 2019 which sought to increase the jail time for drunk driving from the original seven years to 10.<a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/09/28/17/mom-of-fil-am-killed-by-drunk-driver-pushes-for-stiffer-dui-penalties'>Mom of Fil-Am killed by drunk driver pushes for stiffer DUI penalties</a>The piece of legislation, however, failed to pass. Despite this, Jonson hopes that the measure, named after her son, will be revived.She is also determined to continue using what happened on that fateful day in 2017 as a catalyst for change.

In the early hours of February in 2017, the world of those who knew the 16-year-old Filipino-American Jaelan Fajardo stood still.A promising day turned tragic when a drunk driver careened into Fajardo's car, stealing his bright future in an instant.

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A Filipino-American mother in Nevada found a way to channel her grief into helping push for social change.

Fil-Am channels grief into advocacies after losing son killed by drunk driver | ABS-CBN News

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Fil-Am channels grief into advocacies after losing son killed by drunk driver

Fil-Am channels grief into advocacies after losing son killed by drunk driver