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.