MARIJUANA: GRIEVING MOM SEEKS CHANGE

A Langley mother is using the death of her 16-year-old son to
encourage parents to take a stand against pot use.

Helen Featherston let out an audible gasp and choked back tears when
she was asked to talk about her life without her son, Simon.

"How about the word 'devastating,'" the Langley mother told a crowd of
media and dignitaries at the Langley RCMP office on Wednesday morning.

Simon, a Grade 10 D.W. Poppy student, grabbed a ride with someone he
didn't really know on April 4, 2002.

It was a decision that cost Simon, 16, and his buddy Dayton Unger
their lives when the driver, another 16-year-old new driver, lost
control of his Ford Mustang and crashed into a ditch. Evidence in the
subsequent court case indicated the driver might have been impaired by
the use of marijuana, but such charges were dropped.

"Simon was our only child," Featherston said, when invited to comment
during and following a press conference intended to bring public
attention to an increasing problem of marijuana use among Langley's
youth.

"We hope that the tragic death of our precious son Simon and all
others of similar circumstances proves to be a positive force to bring
about real change," she said.

His mother described Simon as a teenager who had a gift for working
with his hands and giving with his heart: "He was gifted in helping,
inspiring and encouraging others. He was gifted with high energy, a
bright mind, and the ability to direct this into creativity and
production."

She described him as a talented metal-worker, whose tree grates are
still in place along the sidewalks of downtown Aldergrove.

He held down multiple jobs, including regular after-school employment
at a Port Kells casting company.

She spoke about Simon's maturity, industrious nature, compassionate
and caring personality, and gung-ho and adventurous attitude.

She described a bright future that was starting to unfold for him
before the tragedy hit.

"There was not enough time in the day to do all the things he had
planned to do," she said.

In Simon's younger years, he shadowed his father to many ICBC safety
programs, and saw the aftermaths of many accidents, repeatedly saying
he didn't ever want to become such a victim.

"What a terrible irony it was that Simon would be killed at the age of
16, by being invited into a car driven by someone who he didn't know;
someone who was a heavy drug user, someone with a very different
attitude towards life," his mother said.

As Simon gave to many in his life, including family, friends, and
neighbours, he also gave to many in his death through organ donations.
Now Featherston hopes in death Simon can continue to give by helping
to educate others about the dangers that drugs such as marijuana pose
on society.

"If we allow drugs to win in our culture, drugs will be the cause of
its demise," she said.

Featherston hoped that, by talking about the loss of her son, she can
help motivate societal changes. She wants to stop people from driving
under the influence of marijuana, and would like to see parents take a
more active role in the lives of their children.

"I would hope my son's death will prevent this from happening to
someone else," she said.

"My message is that we have to be more diligent," Featherston said.
"Parents can't be apathetic if they want to save their children."

Speaking directly to other parents, she said: "Get in their faces. Get
in their way... We need to encourage tireless communication with our
children, concerning their activities and their friends. A parent
needs to take action upon receiving information that his child has
poor or dangerous driving habits, and our children need to be
constantly reminded not to get into a car if they do not know the
driver. We all must be more diligent."

Featherston talked about Simon's smile and zest for life, while
grasping a large, framed photograph of her son. Her favourite picture
of him, it was taken a year before his death, and was on display
through the press conference.

"Simon just had that sparkle, and anyone who met him remembered," she
said.

She explained about the struggle that she and her husband Peter face
each day since Simon's death.

She feels little hope of that pain and loss subsiding anytime
soon.

"Four years ago is nothing," she said. "Every day, you wake up and
realize it's true. It's tragic but it's true. You think about it every
day. It's not like four years; it's like yesterday_

"Our memories are wonderful, but that's all we have."