Parents Tad and Vanessa, along with their three children Kylee 6, Hanna 3, and Tyler 3 months were involved in an auto accident on April 15, 2006. The family was on their way to a family birthday party. Kylee, the oldest of the three children, had been listening to her favorite country singer Tim McGraw. She was singing, laughing, and smiling. The family was traveling on Scott Rd. toward Hemet. When attempting to make a left turn onto Winchester Rd. they were struck by a Dodge Ram truck. Parents Tad and Vanessa were treated for a few cuts while the two younger children Hanna and Tyler escaped without injury. Kylee was unresponsive. A sheriff arrived at the scene and he immediately performed CPR on Kylee. She was then taken to Rancho Valley Hospital where she was then flown to Riverside Regional Hospital. Kylee suffered major head trauma and respiratory failure. Prayers and support poured in from many people. Kylee never regained consciousness but she was able to be baptized in the hospital on Resurrection Sunday. It was something she had wanted to do during the summer but people thought she was too young to understand. Kylee entered eternity on April 21, 2006. The day Kylee passed away her mother found a few journal papers stapled together in her closet in a folder. They showed how much Kylee loved the Lord. This journal has been a source of comfort and hope for the parents. Weeks after Kylee passed, Kylee’s parents decided they wanted to start a program where they could give to other children in memory of Kylee. They envisioned a program that would enable them to keep giving for years to come. This is when the Smiles 4 Kylee Children’s Fund was created. It has been a great blessing to the family to see the Smiles on the faces of the children as a result of the various fundraisers and drives where they are able to keep giving to children in the community…just like Kylee would have wanted.
