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FeedDecember 2009 metroSPIRIT: In the Face of Tragedy
One Woman's Story on Overcoming Loss While Realizing a Dream
Amy Wieczorek
(page 1 of 2)
When tragedy strikes, there are two ways to respond. You can indefinitely curl up in the fetal position and let it take over your life or you can channel your pain into action.
Amy Wieczorek did the latter. When the University of Nebraska at Omaha junior lost one of her closest friends, Morgan Hohnbaum, in a drunk driving accident, she used her pain proactively to ensure others would not suffer her friends fate. She talks to groups about the effects of drunk driving. She is working to establish a Safe Ride program at UNO. And she has joined forces to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, MADD, to raise both money and awareness about the life-changing effect of drunk driving.
Wieczorek admits it took time to find her way out of a black hole of sorrow after Morgan died. She began questioning her faith. How could a loving God, she wondered, allow such a horrible thing to happen? How was she supposed to recover from such a loss at such a young age?
The answers came one Sunday while she was in church. In his sermon, her minister called on his congregation to Be the light in someones darkness, Wieczorek recalls. His words resonated with her. And propelled her to action.
In March, Wieczorek began sharing the devastating effects of drunk driving had in her life at various speaking engagements. One of her UNO professors inspired her to speak to an on campus group called Choices about the deadly combination of alcohol consumption and driving. She talked to Victim Impact Panels, required for those found guilty of driving under the influence and minors caught in possession of alcoholic beverages.
Wieczorek also traveled to Nebraska schools to share her personal connection with drunk driving. One speaking engaging in particular, at Lincolns Pius X high school, garnered her the attention of Cindy McCarthy, victim advocate with MADD. McCarthy invited Wieczorek to join MADDs strategic planning committee.
Remaining behind the scenes was not something she wanted to do; she needed to be on the front lines in the battle against drunk driving. Last fall, before she started speaking, she sought to establish a Safe Ride program at UNO. The program helps ensure that students who believe their ability to drive has been impaired by alcohol consumption can call a hot line for a safe, and free, ride home.
Wieczorek said that several peer schools, universities with similar residential and student populations, across the country have instituted the Safe Ride program. Omahas limited public transit coupled with the drinking and driving problem [among young people] lends itself to the Safe Ride Program, asserts Wieczorek.
