Matthew Angelillo 1.20.87 to 6.20.04

My life as I knew it was changed in one tragic

instant when my 17 year old son, Matthew, made

the wrong decision to take a ride home with a

friend who had been drinking. He had just returned

from a one-week Summer Seminar at the Air Force

Academy and was out with his friends sharing his

experiences and celebrating his happiness at the

possibilities the future had in store for him. Words

like “profound sadness” and “unimaginable

grief” that I had only heard before became the new

normal for my family. The first time I was

approached to speak about Matt’s death, I decided

that I would share my pain if it could help save

another family from experiencing what we had. I

discovered that in reaching out to teens and their

parents, I was able to connect with Matt and use

his life to educate others. I have been told that in

“Sharing My Stones” I am also “planting

seeds” and hope that Matt’s story will touch the

hearts of my audiences and have a profound effect

on their decision-making.