Memory of Eddings boys will live on in Haitian grade school
CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - A year after Gentry and Hadley Eddings lost their two young sons, their sons' names live on and are changing lives.
Last May, the Eddings' were in a serious car crash on Highway 17 in Pender County, near Wilmington. Their 2-year-old son, Dobbs, was killed instantly. Hadley was 8 months pregnant with their son Reed. Reed was born, but died just three days later.
Last year, they sat down with WBTV's Molly Grantham and said, "We don't know what God has in store, but we will wait to find out."
Almost a year to the day after the tragic loss of their children, Gentry and Hadley announced that a grade school in Haiti will be built from donations made in memory of their sons.
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"They wanted to honor our boys by naming it after them, the Dobbs and Reed Grade School," Gentry said.
The money for the school in Minoterie, Haiti came from donations and a contribution from Forest Hill Church where Gentry is a pastor of the Ballantyne campus.
"In a situation like this where so much bad has happened, we've been talking and this is one way we can really see God's goodness in this and how he can use evil and make it good," Hadley said about the new school.
The school will be built this summer and will hold 500 children.
"The impact is that they'll get a meal every day and a Christian education," Gentry said.
RELATED: BLOG: The Eddings one year later
Life continues to move on for the couple, but moving on doesn't mean you forget the loss.
"As time has passed I've realized this is something I won't ever get over," Hadley admits. "I will always grieve for those little boys. And for just the life that once was."
Those two little boys, one who only lived a few days, will impact thousands of lives.
"Most people who live to be 100 don't have a legacy like that so we're really proud of our boys and they continue to make an impact even when they're not here."
To find out more about Mission of Hope: Haiti, where Gentry and Hadley had all donations go in memory of their boys, CLICK HERE.
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