Alert the Media

After dealing with this man terrorizing Bryce’s memorial four different times, I had enough. One of Bryce’s friends and I started posting in local Facebook groups. I made a public post on my personal page and asked people to share. We did it in the hopes that someone would see it who knew the man destroying Bryce’s memorial. Or that maybe the man himself would see it. Then I had the idea to email the local news. I sent an email to all of the local news stations with information about what was happening. I quickly had 2 emails back for more information and did interviews with those 2 the next day. While interviewing with them, I received an email from a 3rd asking for an interview with them, which was done the following day.

Most of the community feedback has been positive and supportive. A few people have been negative and have said things like “that’s what cemeteries are for” but who is anyone to tell anyone else how to grieve? If having a memorial at the intersection where my son was killed helps my grief process, then why should it bother anyone else? Just like writing here helps me process my grief, that memorial helps me. Having something beautiful for Bryce at the spot that causes anxiety for me helps me. Having something beautiful at the spot where my son took his last breath helps me. Where his heart stopped beating. Driving through that intersection still causes anxiety for me but going to the memorial there brings me a small amount of peace. I feel closer to him. His life was taken there. Is it rational that I feel peace at the spot where my son was killed? Is it rational that I feel peace at the spot where my son took his last breath? Where his heart beat for the last time? No. It isn’t. But does it really matter? Grief isn’t fucking rational. We all process it differently. What helps me may not help the next person and what helps them might not help me. Grief is personal. And having that memorial helps me. It helps Bryce’s siblings. It helps his girlfriend. It helps his friends. And the asshole who keeps ripping it down and throwing it in the dumpster can go fuck himself.

An amazing thing noticed today that wasn’t there yesterday? A DOT sign that can be seen from my son’s memorial, just barely east of it, now says LOOK TWICE FOR MOTORCYCLES. Coincidence or because of my media showings in honor of my baby boy, his accident, and the heartless actions by a horrible man? No idea. But the fact that this sign now honors riders when it never has before and it does so in sight of his memorial and the intersection where he lost his life because someone wasn’t looking for motorcycles made me cry today standing on that corner. And who is this asshole who keeps removing the memorial? Is it someone associated with the accident? Is it some random asshole? I don’t care. I just want it to stop. Putting my foot down and not giving up on my son’s memorial makes me feel like I’m helping him somehow. I know he isn’t here. I know I might not be directly helping him. Yes, this might be more of a selfish endeavor. I don’t give a fuck. I am not the only one who visits that spot often. And even if I was…I’d be doing the same thing. I’d be fighting for my son. For his memorial. To stop whoever is doing this. I had my son’s back for every moment that his heart was beating, from the second that his heart and mine were attached to the second that his stopped beating. And I will continue to do so now even though it no longer beats. And I will NOT let some heartless asshole change that now. Not ever. Interview 1: https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/memorial-motorcyclist-killed-crash-continuously-destroyed-surprise-bryce-burgess Interview 2: https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/memorial-valley-motorcyclist-repeatedly-destroyed-family-surprise/75-a478e28d-b3e4-4c84-849e-c7b6e819d29b Interview 3: https://www.abc15.com/news/region-west-valley/surprise/west-valley-mother-pleas-for-vandal-hitting-her-sons-memorial-to-stop