Family overcomes double tragedy

LIBERTY TWP, Ohio - Twenty-five-year-old Scott Strickler hopes his boat floats at this year's Cardboard Regatta.

His family hopes their struggle doesn't happen to anyone else.

"I just know I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy," said Stephe Bacon.

Strickler was in a car accident in 2003, which resulted in brain damage. He was 18.

"Scotty was in between two seats, supposedly with his seat belt on, but I can't verify that and neither could they and he, the bags went off and they think he had like a baby shaken syndrome,” said Bacon.

"[It’s a] tough memory... Just hard to believe it would happen again.”

Eight years earlier, Strickler’s sister Stacey Bacon, also 18 at the time, was involved in a similar accident. It was 1996—her senior year of high school.

"She was going to go down to the Christmas party that year. [I] waited for her mom to call, called her back, and back and forth and Stacey never showed up. Long story short of it is that I was concerned and I backtracked. Went and found an accident. At that point in time, I saw a car."

Stacey had been hit pulling out into traffic, and like her brother years later, she suffered brain damage.

“It just changes everything.”

But what doesn’t change for Stephe are his memories.

They were an ornery pair, he said, referring to his son and daughter. But they had a tremendous love for one another as well. He misses that.

“I’d give anything in the world to have them back… like I remember (them).”

But now, what started as Strickler’s project, building a cardboard boat, has turned into something for the whole family— and bringing them closer to the community.

"The teamwork and I think it's really made an impact on the family socially because they have reached out to other people and gotten to know other people and you know, just doing something together," said Carol Buckner, development coordinator, family friend, who introduced the regatta idea to Strickler.

The family hopes their struggle gives another family going through anything similar, hope for their own survival.

The Cardboard Regatta kicks off Friday July 22 with a festival. The race follows on Saturday July 23 at the Voice of America Park in West Chester.