I’m Monique Irvis. I lost my son, Eric Keith Woods Jr., on August 1, 2007. That night was like a dream from which I didn’t want to wake up. When I got the call that Eric had been shot, I didn’t believe it. I hung up the phone, and then his friend called me back and said, “it’s true.” At that time, I just started praying that he was okay. When the doctor told me that my son was no longer here, my heart just felt like it left my body.
As a mother, I never would have guessed that my son would have been killed. The feeling never goes away. It feels like that night everyday; no matter what I’m doing, I think about him. I remember that I started drinking really heavily, wanting to kill myself. I just didn’t want to live. Today is a one of those days when he’s on my mind really heavily, and I wish he were here. I did call my therapist and talk to him.
A mother should never have to go through the pain that I’m going through. It feel like your insides have been ripped out. I love you, Eric.