Destiny Mantia's life would never be the same after one fateful night.
At 15-years-old, she met 16-year-old Corey at a football game. The two of them fell in love and got married just three years later.
"He was super funny and caring and would always help anyone who needed it," Destiny said of her husband. "We had talked non-stop. There wasn't a day where we weren't together. We did everything together."
Destiny became pregnant and on June 23, 2013, she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Parker Lee. She and Corey had the perfect little family.
Together with their son, they lived in Winfield, Missouri and had many dreams of their future together. They eagerly looked forward buying a house together, having more kids, and taking Parker for his first haircut when he was old enough.
One day it changed forever.
Continue to the next page for Destiny's story.
On September 20, 2014, the carelessness of a stranger ripped their perfect life apart. The family had a typical day: Corey went to work and Destiny stayed home to take care of Parker. When her husband returned, he played with the baby while Destiny prepped for a business appointment for her part-time job.
Nothing seemed different, but tragedy was only minutes away. Corey was driving Destiny to the meeting with 15-month-old Parker in the car seat when 42-year-old Shanna Cook slammed into their minivan.
"My amazing husband whom was driving, my precious baby whom I still nursed and kept rear facing watching Mickey Mouse Club house, and I were struck nearly head on at an excessive speed by a drunk driver," Destiny wrote.
Go to the next page to read more.
Parker was killed instantly and Corey was air lifted to the hospital, where he died one day later. Destiny suffered many injuries including a serious concussion, but she survived the horrific accident. But the worst injury she experienced was the loss of her beloved family, and it could have been prevented.
"One selfish decision to drink and drive caused me to be a widow and a mom to an angel at the age of 21...She ended any dreams that we may have had together and caused pain I never knew existed," Destiny said.
The woman who hit them was also killed in the incident, and it was later discovered that she'd come straight from a wedding reception. Why none of the guests stopped the woman from getting in the car is something Destiny is still struggling to come to terms with.
"I grieve for Corey, I needed him," Destiny said. "I needed him to tell me 'Everything is going to be OK.' After I realized there was nothing I could do to bring them back is when I grieved Parker. It's almost unimaginable at times with birthdays and holidays, with Halloween coming up."
Continue to the last page to watch a video of Destiny and read her heart-wrenching Facebook warning.
One year after the incident, Destiny posted on Facebook, sharing her story and an urgent message. Her post has been shared over 60,000 times and has over 38,000 likes and reactions. Read the full post here:
A year ago today was like many other days. Corey Mantia woke up and went to work. Parker and I stayed at home and played...
Posted by Destiny Mantia on Sunday, September 20, 2015
As the only survivor of the crash, Destiny has bravely faced her life without her beloved husband and son, and credits family and friends for their support.
"I never knew the strength I could pull out that I never knew I had. I think I was able to find this strength through the prayers and support of many friends and family," Destiny wrote.
She has also found strength and purpose by raising awareness of the dangers of drunk driving and how something seemingly harmless can destroy lives.
Watch the full clip of Destiny's story here:
Please SHARE this powerful message to help end drunk driving. You could save a life.
