The Legacy of Iris Fennell, Episode One

What happened to the daughter Iris had to leave behind?

I had the privilege of recently talking to Iris’s family and friends to thank them for their bravery and support. When I asked Iris's daughter how she was coping and what she was doing now, she replied, “I just completed nursing school and I am going for my master’s degree as a nurse anesthesiologist.”

​My jaw dropped and my heart filled with admiration for this young lady who lost her mother at such an early age and the determination of the grandmother who raised her. You may remember that Iris was studying to be a nurse when she was murdered. She was robbed of fulfilling her dream. But through her daughter, Iris’s dream lives on. The greatest tribute her daughter could pay to her mother’s life is her ability to accomplish her mother’s unfulfilled mission.
 
Homicide stories are never easy to tell.  There is no real happy ending but this young lady left a legacy for us to remember. She overcame obstacles and emotional loss we can’t even begin to imagine. What an incredible example she has made of her own life. 
 
We can learn how to live by listening to the stories of the dead and learning from the loved ones who continue living on, courageously, despite tragedy.