About Lani

On Tuesday, August 6, 2002 my day started like any other hot summer August day. I got up and went to the computer. My mom had just won an ebay auction for a new car and I was going to take my driving test on Thursday. We made plans to pick the car up on Friday in Cleveland and she made hotel reservations for us to make a weekend of it. I had an interview at Bob Evan's and landed my first job as a hostess. Later in the afternoon, I went to volleyball try-outs and made the team. My Aunt Micki dropped off my cousin Kirsti to stay with us while she and her husband Roger went to Lamaze classes in Bellefontaine. It was my dad's birthday and my mom asked me if I wanted to go out for dinner with them and Kirsti to celebrate. Having just returned from the OBX (our annual family beach vacation) just a few days before, I was anxious to see my friends. I was having a great day and wanted to celebrate with friends before I started my job and daily volleyball practices. I made plans to see a movie in Bellefontaine, left a note on the refrigerator for mom and dad, and left my home...for the last time. You see, August 6, 2002 was the last day of my life. Not by my choice...I certainly LOVED life. I was killed in a car accident in a car driven by my best friend. I was only 16...just about to start my junior year of high school. I didn't even have my driver's license yet...but I was taken without warning. I didn't get to say good-bye to my parents, my sister or brother, my "gammy" or any of my many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. I didn't get to meet my little cousin, born just one month after I died...a little girl with a mind, spirit, and personality just like mine. In one moment, without any explanations, the life I had and the lives of my family were forever changed. Every new memory is bittersweet because I'm not there. My family tries to find comfort by honoring my memory with a foundation--THE LANI ANDERS ANGEL FOUNDATION--to help others and, somehow, try to make my dreams live on.