Desert Shadows Middle School, Nogales Az

Nearly a month ago Kaity's Way presented to the 8th grade students of Desert Shadows Middle School at the request of Ms. Coopers class. These brilliant students organized an assembly for their peers to educate them about a very prevalent issue. The warning signs of Teen Dating Violence, Kaity's Law and the elements of a Healthy Relationship. The fact that these students care so much about their fellow students and their community is so inspiring that we can hardly wait until the next opportunity to collaborate with them.

More than 200 surveys were completed by the students. Some had some very good questions which we will answer below.

Why didn't Kaity call a princpal or an authority the minute the relationship turned wrong? Often times in an abusive relationship the victim is so involved that they do not realize right away when the relationship has turned wrong. Ultimately, she did realize and ended the relationship.

What did Daniels parents do about the situation? We do not know

Do you wish you could have done anything differently? Yes, but we couldn't guarantee the outcome would have been any different.

Did your husband talk to Daniel? My husband chooses not to speak about what occurred so out of respect I do not ask. What I can tell you is that I do not know that he didn't speak to Daniel.

Are you mad at Daniel and his family? I have long since forgiven them

Did you get the signal when Daniel started to ask for Kaity's 24/7? Eventually

How do you have the strength to relive this by telling it to every school? It is our wish to be able to go to every single school, but we are not there yet. Either way, it is difficult at times, but in some ways it is very therapeutic. Helping others helps us.

If Daniel were still living, would you ever forgive him? I would like to think so.

How old would Kaity be right now? 21

How does the judge feel that he didn't file the order of protection? I don't know

How is your family? They are doing well

Do you still celebrate Kaity's Birthday? Yes, we release balloons every year on July 5th and encourage others to join us no matter where they are.

How did Kaity's Sister react to the death of her big sister? She was devastated in the beginning and still misses her and always will.

Why didn't you take and pick Kaity up from school yourself? I wish I had

What would you have done to prevent this? Made her stay in New Hampshire to finish school

How do you feel after your loss? Sad and I miss her terribly

How long did it take you to share Kaity's Story with the world? April 22, 2008 was the first time I told a version of Kaity's Story

Why didn't the mom do something earlier? not sure if you are asking about Daniels mom or Kaity's mom.

Questions from Surveys -PVCC-MCC-Premier High School

Our sincerest apologies that we are just now answering some questions from the surveys. The good news is that we have been so busy with presentations and exhibit tables we have had to table answering questions until now. So Thank You for your patience and understanding....

So lets get on with the questions:

How long did it take you to get the law passed? The passing of Kaity's Law was a team effort started by the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence (AZCADV) and former Senator Jonathan Paton. Bobbi Sudberry, on a personal level, was brought in to share Kaity's Story in an effort to help the committee realize the need for such a law due to the tragedy her family faced. The AZCADV had tried for a few years to get this law passed.

If a bill is not met with opposition and passes through both parties it is a matter of months. Unfortunately, this law met with opposition and it took years and the loss of a beautiful life to get it passed.

When will your next presentation be? We schedule presentations all the time at various venues around the state. Some are open to the public. We are hoping to work with certain businesses this next year to provide presentations to the general public. We will be sure to mention when a presentation is open to the public on our Current Events page. Please check our website www.kaitysway.org/events for a current listing of scheduled presentations.

How did you move on from this? I am not so sure that we have moved on from the loss of Kaity, but we have come to terms with our loss. Creating Kaity's Way in her honor has helped with this. We also have a certain belief and faith that allows us some peace of mind.

Do you still have any resentment towards Daniel? No, he was forgiven long ago. Anger and resentment is exhausting and robs a person of too much energy. Instead we put all our energy into something good, Kaity's Way!