"The day that I had to kiss my beautiful son Seanne goodbye for the last time, I made a promise. A promise to him and all those who can no longer speak for themselves. To share the pain no parent should have to endure. To teach as many as who are willing to listen. To reach as many families as possible with the tragedy that befell our family, and in doing so, save a child, our most precious gift in life."
On September 5, 2003 Jeanne Caroline's world changed forever. Jeanne and her husband Sean lived in Largo, Florida with their son Seanne, a warm, bright and loving seventh grader who pitched for his Little League team and had already celebrated his first hole-in-one in golf. On that Friday, Jeanne was just sitting down to grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup with her sister, when she heard the news from a police officer at her door. Her son, Seanne had been unintentionally shot and killed at a friend's house.
Today Jeanne is the president of the Seannes Wish Foundation. Since the terrible tragedy of losing her son, Jeanne has dedicated her life to educating others about the dangers of gun violence against children. Recognizing that guns are one of the least talked about and most misunderstood child safety topics and that unintentional shootings are 100% preventable, Jeanne is spreading the word and helping to prevent other tragedies. She has been featured in numerous newspaper articles and on news programs and has spoken to parents and children at schools and community organizations about her experiences.
The Carolines take comfort in knowing that Seanne's story has made a difference to many parents. They believe that it is the responsibility of every gun owner to make sure that children do not have the opportunity to access a gun, and of every parent to ASK. The father of Seanne's friend who left a loaded handgun under his couch on that September day was the first person to receive a prison sentence under a Florida law that holds gun owners responsible when guns are left accessible to children, sending a clear message to Florida parents.
"Not only was this my worst nightmare come true, but so many other families' as well."