“I have older kids, and then I also raised my stepsons. I thought I was done. But when I remarried, I decided that, you know, time is closing so … And Carlos has really been a blessing to us. When he came along, I remember … Continue readingThis young guy brings sunshine to his family
“He was probably 4 or 5 when we really started noticing things. When bathroom hand dryers came on, he’d start screaming because they were too loud. When it was hot outside, the heat was way worse for him than for us. And the lights bothered … Continue readingShe wants the best for her son with Asperger’s
“After the murder of my father’s dad, John A. Sivek, in 1934, times were very hard. My father, John S. Sivek, was younger than 5 years old at the time. At the age of 10 or 11 in 1940-41, he built a shoeshine box and, … Continue readingBack when 15 cents meant a lot to his family
“I went to live with my grandparents when I was 13. They were like my parents. They raised me as their son. And I helped take care of them until the end. I would go with them to their appointments in Houston, and there were … Continue readingHe faces future with late grandparents’ inspiration
“I looked at the statistics for the year that Melissa passed. In North Carolina, 131 women were victims of domestic violence-related homicides. That same year in Texas, there were 136 domestic violence-related homicides. You don’t realize how frequently this type of abuse happens, to men … Continue readingShe’s not keeping silent about domestic violence
“Melissa’s boyfriend was never charged. The thing that really upset me was the way we were treated by the detective who was investigating it. He told us her boyfriend said he was taking care of her. But in reality, he left her lying in the … Continue readingMother continues to seek justice for her daughter
“On Oct. 3, 2008, a Friday afternoon, I received a phone call from my daughter’s boyfriend. They had been together maybe two years, living in North Carolina, and he had never called me before. He said Melissa fell in the bathroom, but she was fine. … Continue readingDomestic violence leads to daughter’s death
“Some people may not realize it, but we’ve got a lot of homeless people around Baytown. With everybody that’s out there, maybe some don’t deserve to be in that situation. But I believe you’ve got to do something to pull yourself up. You can’t just … Continue readingHe’ll help homeless if they’ll help themselves
“Her name is Kaya. She’s a Bichon Frise. My dad taught her how to chase after the Frisbee. It’s too hard for her mouth, but she’ll run after it and bring it back. And if we throw soft tennis balls, she’ll jump up and catch … Continue readingHere’s a relationship that appears built to last
“My biggest challenge right now is trying to get through the days with my son, and trying not to worry about how it will be when he’s gone. “I have three boys. The oldest one is Dallas Arabie Jr., and he has terminal cancer. He … Continue readingHer son stays strong while battling colon cancer