Stacy Gammons-Ankerfelt was the epitome of happiness. She spread love and kindness wherever she went. She was caring, thoughtful, strong and exactly what this world needed more of.  I hope one day I can be half the woman my sister was, she was one in a million, not just because she was my big sister but because she truly was changing the world with every life she touched. As short as it was, I would say Stacy lived a perfect life. She surpassed every goal she set for herself, she knew she was loved greatly and lived each day to the fullest. Stacy married her high school sweetheart, Jason in 2007 and couldn’t wait to start the family they had always dreamed of. She was a huge football fan and never missed a Seahawks game.Stacy was one of the few people that you could always count on to be there for you. No matter how busy she was, she put her family and friends first. I don’t know how she did it, but she would make it to every event or gathering even while holding down two jobs at most times. She was put on this earth to make people happy, and she did an incredible job at that. The greatest thing about her was the ability she had to make everyone feel special. You could be her oldest friend or a random stranger, and she would treat you like her very best friend. She made everyone feel loved. Stacy was only 28 years old, had just finished her master’s degree in teaching and her first year at her new school Scenic Hill Elementary.

Teaching was her true passion, she put her whole heart and soul into it. One of the many benefits of teaching was having the summer off but Stacy used her free time to take homemade sack lunches to all of her low-income students because she couldn’t let them go hungry. I have never seen a more selfless teacher, there was nothing she wouldn’t do for her students and because of that she left behind an incredible legacy. She built up their confidence and helped them pursue their dreams. Even though she was teaching elementary level students she was already making a tremendous impact with her college bound no excuses, no exceptions program. She always said you become a teacher not for the income but for the outcome. She was so humble and never needed any recognition for all the good things she did. She found happiness in seeing her students succeed. Stacy had a lot of plans for the future and that was all gone in an instant. One selfish and 100% preventable act changed our lives forever.

On July 19, 2012, Stacy was heading out to get school supplies for the upcoming year when she was struck right outside her home by an SUV and thrown more than 30 feet. The driver was under the influence of a prescription drug Suboxone, which was taken to treat withdrawal symptoms of an oxycodone addiction, but he was not taking this medication as prescribed. This man was in his early twenties and already a repeat offender for driving under the influence. After suffering multiple fractures and a traumatic brain injury she was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, WA. After countless surgeries she passed away exactly one month later. I had been through a lot of hardships, loss, and sadness over the years but up until that point I had never felt a pain so intense in my chest, I actually felt my heart break. I couldn’t even imagine the pain my parents were feeling. I went home that night and explained to my boys, who were three and six at the time, that Auntie Stacy was never coming home.

Not long after that we started our journey for justice, and it was not easy. After months of delays, Stacy’s case was one of the first to be tried under A new law at the time in our county and he was sentenced to 102 months in jail. Of course, no time is equivalent to all we lost but at least we knew he would be prosecuted to the max penalty. It was hard for our family day after day to sit in a courtroom looking at this man who selfishly took Stacy from us, a man who showed no remorse. I was filled with anger and grief, but I tried to think like Stacy. She had always believed in the goodness in people; she didn’t have a single ounce of negativity in her body. She would want him to use this lesson to better himself. Unfortunately, he didn’t. He only had to serve five years of his sentence and has since re-offended.

My name is Ashley Bonus and I started my journey for justice in 2012 when my sister, Stacy was killed by an impaired driver. Every time I am asked to speak It never gets easier, I go over and over what I want to say and how I should say it but there is no amount of words that can capture the impact this has had on our life. Stacy was always my rock and biggest supporter. Living life without her has been the most difficult pain I’ve ever had to endure. I didn’t just lose my sister; I lost the future I had planned with her. Nothing in life prepares you for a loss this great, the impact this has had on me is catastrophic and the ripple effect of her death was like a tsunami of devastation for myself, my family and everyone who knew her. Our lives will never be the same. I let one man’s selfish choice not only take my sister from this earth, but I let it define my life for years. I let it affect my children, friendships, And family. He took her life but not her light. I see it everyday in my boys. I see a little bit of her in everyone who loved her because the legacy she left behind was so strong. I want to emphasize how truly amazing she was because she should still be here. She worked so hard to get to where she was and deserved to live a full life. I say this to you not out of bitterness or anger. I say this because it is a fact and the worst part is the careless person who stole her future is still living. Still making poor choices. Still hurting other people. How is that fair? It’s not. People always tell me everything happens for a reason but its hard to not think about what our lives would be like today if this man had made different choices.

One day I woke up and said to myself, I have already allowed this man’s choice to hurt us so much. He didn’t deserve that power, So In 2019, I took my power back. I emailed and called MADD weekly until I got a response. I explained to them how badly Washington State needed support and victim services. They took a chance on me and allowed me to chair their Walk like MADD event and I am now a trained Victims Advocate. I tell our story to anyone who will listen in hopes to make a difference. I think about Stacy every day. We talk about her every day. I chose to celebrate the 26 years I had with her but it is hard. Every single day is hard for us because every time we talk about her crash it brings it all back. I know our story is sad and hard to hear but it needs to be told and I am not alone… Throughout my journey over the last 10 years I have met so many families with similar stories who share my heartache. Some of which are now my closest friends, but I wish I had never met them. I have told Stacy’s story to local high schools and news outlets to raise awareness, wrote articles, and spoke to local legislation. I am so proud of all my accomplishments but wish I never had the opportunity. Every accomplishment is shadowed by grief because the person I want to celebrate my victories with is no longer here to cheer me on, she is now the reason why I fight.

If I could say one thing to anyone who has not been in our situation it would be to count your blessings. I wake up each morning feeling a heartache I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. This was not an accident, this did not need to happen. It’s a terrifying reminder that one choice can take someone you love away so quickly, unexpectedly and completely out of your control. Its soul- crushing. Don’t go through life thinking it can’t or won’t happen to you because it can. I never thought I’d be in this situation but here I am right in front of you. Impaired driving does not discriminate against age, race, or gender. It is a 100% preventable crime. It is a CHOICE, and it comes with life altering consequences. We live in a world where everything is available at your fingertips. There are so many options. There is honestly no excuse to drive under the influence or ride with an impaired driver. Yet the statistics continue to rise, It blows my mind because to me the solution seems so simple. I see it happen all the time but it’s not worth the risk. Nothing is worth feeling this pain or putting it on another family. I can’t say it enough. IT IS NOT WORTH IT. MADD is not against drinking we just want everyone to drink responsibly and always designate a driver or make a plan to get home safely. As a mother of two teenage boys, I know life happens and they will make decisions I'm not always happy about but I have set them up to always have a safe option if they don't feel comfortable calling me for help. I have an uber account set up for my family and it is connected to my debit card. My boys can use it to get home safe anytime no questions asked. I urge you all to make a plan with your families too.

On my hardest days I remind myself who I am fighting for and there is no strength as strong as love. My heartache lit a passion in me to fight. I believe there is no such thing as an “accident” when it comes to driving under the influence and I’ve made it my mission to make a change for Stacy. A future with no more victims is within reach and I will not stop fighting until we achieve our goal.

Kayson was only 3 years old when he lost his Auntie Stacy. When Stacy passed away my biggest fear is the boys would forget her...boy was I wrong! the impression she had on these boys and the community is unbelievable. I see little bit of her in these guys everyday because the legacy she left behind is so strong. In September Kayson started his freshman year in high school and asked me if he could use my work printer to print off a project. I was speechless when it printed out. Kayson wrote a six word short story for English class about his Aunt. I am so proud of him for being brave and sharing something so private with his class. I've fought hard to normalize talking about Stacy and the dangers of driving impaired driving even though it is a taboo topic. I wish my babies wouldn't have to feel this pain but thankful for the time they had with Auntie Stacy and Uncle Jason. 

My parents and I went to the state capital and met with Senator John Lovick to show our support for SB 5002. This change would nearly create a zero-tolerance level for Washington drivers. The legislature finds and declares that 7 2021 was the deadliest year on Washington roads since 2006. Washington state saw 540 fatal crashes resulting in the death of more than 600 people. Half of all serious and fatal crashes are caused by 10 driver impairment from drugs and alcohol, and the state saw a 31.3 percent increase in crashes as the result of an impaired driver between 2020 and 2021. This alarming upward trend must be addressed if Washington state is going to meet its goal of target zero. The increase in Washingtonians choosing to drive while impaired points to a need to adjust Washington's impaired driving laws. Utah lowered the blood alcohol concentration limit for operating a motor vehicle from .08 to .05 in 2019 and found that its fatal crash rate dropped by 19.89 percent, and its fatality rate decreased by 18.3 percent. 19 Additionally, 22 percent of people who drank alcohol said they changed their behavior as a result of the new law. The legislature further finds that this is a well calibrated policy based on evidence SB 5002 1 that shows if all states implemented a .05 blood alcohol concentration level, 538 to 1,790 lives would be saved each year, and alcohol-related fatalities would decrease by 11.1 percent overall. Given the increase in traffic fatalities from impaired driving, the legislature declares that it is time to keep Washington's roads safer and lower the number of fatal crashes caused by impaired drivers by lowering the blood alcohol limit to .05. 

The HALT Act, signed into law on November 15, 2021, directs the federal government to require all new cars come equipped with smart technology that passively, seamlessly and unobtrusively detects and stops impaired driving.

This is a game changer in the battle to prevent roadway deaths and injuries. We are working to change how cars are made so no one ever has to experience the trauma of losing a loved one or being injured by a drunk or impaired driver. On January 6, 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began the regulatory phase, or “rulemaking,” for this lifesaving technology. NHTSA posted an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register and opened a 60-day commenting period, which closed March 6. NHTSA will now review more than 18,000 submissions and work toward a regulation for technology that meets the requirements of the HALT Act. 

Stacy was extremely talented at a very young age. I found an old journal of hers and wanted to share  some of her beautiful poems with the world. She was so kind and loving, I truly believe she was changing the world with every life she touched. 

If I could change the world

by: Stacy Gammons 

If I could give the world a gift,

I'd free it of pollution,

I'd fix the ozone layer, 

and that is my solution.

I'd feed the poor,

give the homeless a home,

and that is why I'm writing this poem.

I'd pick up the litter,

throw the litterbugs in jail,

and $5,000,000 dollars would be their bail.

So if I could give the world a gift,

this is what I'd do,

But think about it a second or two,

If you could give the world a gift,

What would you do?

(Written in 1995 and took 3rd place in the reflections contest at our elementary school.) 

My Life

By: Stacy Gammons 8/19/95

When my daddy was born, 

it was 30 years ago,

But he's kind of touchy about it, 

so don't tell him I said so. 

He was born in Puyallup, Washington,

from his father and his mother.

When he came out he had 3 sisters and a brother. 

Then little Tommy came and that meant 6, 

The brady bunch was just like this. 

He was raised in Auburn where nonnie still lives right to this day, 

they weren't rich or fancy,

but lived a great life anyway.

My Mommy was born in 1958, 

She wasn't rich either but her life was really great. 

She was born at St. Joes in Tacoma,

When she was 17 she got her diploma.

Now Mommy had a good life with her father and her mother,

She would never trade her family for another.

My mom and dad met in a station full of gas,

And from now to forever,

their love will last.

They got married and seven months later,

Baby Stacy was born and put in an incubator.

When I was born I had jaundice and was as yellow as this page, 

but luckily I survived and have been smart to this age.

Then Ashley was born and it's been ten years,

I've been with her through all the joys and tears.

If you want to read this, give it a whirl,

All I can say is I am Daddy's little girl.

September 11, 2001

By: Stacy Gammons

Today was full of hate

attacked by the unknown

on the basis of our freedom

and the country we call home

Today was full of love

and one we won't forget

as strangers took the hands and hearts

of others they'd just met

Today was full of honor

and utter disbelief

when the symbols of our country 

lay in rubble at our feet

Today was full of pride

for the red, white and blue

that stood flowing in the wind 

after all we went through

and in the end we find

heart in heart and hand in hand

all that they have proved 

is United We Stand.

God Bless America