Meet Amanda (Mandy) Edwards

Mandy was born on July 10, 1991 not quite two years after her sister Amber in Augusta, Maine. 

She was born 9 days late after trying to come 6 weeks early. 

They took me off the medication two weeks before she was due thinking she would be born immediately - but she had other plans.  

Stubborn right from the start I guess she was sort of saying "If you were not going to take me when I was ready last time - YOU get to wait until I am ready again" ;)  

Amber loved her sister once she got used to the idea - although in the hospital she did say she would rather have a puppy - that changed fast enough.

I believe Amanda was a happy child.  She spent her days playing or fighting with her big sister Amber.   They were inseparable because only Amber could understand their language.

Amanda grew up at Vassalboro Community School - going from a sweet young kid to a wonderful young lady.  She thrived, making friends easily and keeping them long term.  She was a leader, a role model, someone that people liked and they respected her opinions and listened to what she said.  All the while she could also take a joke and laughed with those that made fun of her outgoing nature and often times random words or crazy dress.

I believe these years were happy to - Crystal, Kyleigh, Jay, Kelsey and so many others bound together in friendship between K and 8th.  Mandy loved school and spent her own time reading and drawing, creating, staring in and directing plays for her and her friends.  Amber her sister always a constant, always there if she needed her.

I was proud to watch as Mandy befriended and helped children that a person with less character may have not known how to deal with and avoided.  Mandy loved being the helper, she liked to do what she could to teach someone a new thing and/or cheer up someone she could see was needing or hurting.  She did this without a moment's thought about what the other children would think of her. 

In high school, Mandy was well-liked by her classmates. She enjoyed extra-curricular activities such as managing the Field Hockey Team and being a proud cheerleader.   She was known by all for her immense appetite and love of food, her support of the pink ribbon for breast cancer research campaign, her huge smile and the "Mandy Face" (you can see it in her tribute - check out the links page)


She was a Honor student during her years at Erskine and it was many a night that I would hear her on the phone going over homework and instructions helping other students.  Many have since told me that her help really made a difference for them and that after she was gone Senior year got hard - of course they meant in more ways than one.


It was November 15th and she had been picked up by her boyfriend at 3:00 in the afternoon.  They were heading out to Erskine Academy for an event.  Sadly, she never made it there.  The tree near where they impacted the other car is adorned with items left by those that love her as a caution to other drivers to slow down.  My arms ache to hold her, my eyes fill with tears at the thought of never watching her nightly fashion shows, my stomach aches wishing I could see her sitting in my kitchen asking "what's to eat"  and seeing her enjoy that food....  So much that will not be ... but my heart and head are determined to make the loss meaningful!  We will continue on as she instructed and I promise I will make a difference in this world in her name!

 Live Life Loud

Amanda (Mandy) Edwards was a spectacular girl who had a smile (as you can see) that could light up a room and she ALWAYS was smiling!

Now we want her to know we are doing all of these things to complete her dreams so we can be sure she is smiling down on us from Heaven. 


As a mother I refuse to believe that my daughter died that day for nothing - there must be a purpose.  If her purpose is to have her words heard and for us to listen and figure out what she means then I hope I have put the puzzle together correctly....

1.  Help others realize the dangers that we face each time we get into a car and don't pay complete attention to the road and those around us bad things can and do happen - then I hope we have accomplished that with the passing of LD 441

2.  Lift others she couldn't possibly know with her story and her smile.  I hope we are working on this by spreading the Random Acts of Kindness cards and doing good deeds around out community in memory of her.

3.  Dream Big  - I hope she is proud of the effort we are making to dream HUGE by wanting to bring a young African Student to the US (estimated cost for 4 years of college, travel, personal expenses $70,000.00) - I think that is a HUGE dream.

4.  Achieve many goals - INCREDIBLE! As of May 2010 Our Goals are becoming Reality!
I promise to keep working on it  lifting people we don't know -  Sending Teachers to Africa, Bringing Students here - depending on the amount of money we can raise for the Teach with Africa Project (http://www.teachwithafrica.org/contributeMandy.html)  

 If you would like to help me please pray that we succeed, tell a friend about our quest, post a link to this website on your social network, do a deed of kindness and ask that it be passed on in Mandy's name!

Every Dollar Helps and Donations as small as $1.00 are graciously accepted and appreciated.

***DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE***  
see the Teach with Africa Website (Iink above) for Nonprofit status and number.

If you prayed for our success, mentioned us to another, simply take the Kindness Revolution into your community or made a donation - Thank you for being part of the Revolution!!

Amber (Mandy's Older Sister) wrote a poem back in 2005 - I found it the morning before her sister's service... I was amazed at how it spoke to my heart and soul

Unanswered

Do you know who you are?

What are you made of?

Where have you been, where are you going?

Is he calling you home?

If you could, would you have changed it,

Or would you still have pressed on?

Do you realize your impact?

Can you hear me now?

If you can, are you smiling?

What if I had an answer for every question?

 

I want to leave this world KNOWING that I have made a POSITIVE impact. I am sending good thoughts and warm hugs, thank you for taking the time to read this.  I leave it in Gods hands now.