MADD, Pennsylvania Webmaster Receives National Award

Pictured on the Right... MADD National President Millie Webb (left) presents the MADD 2000 National President's Award for Interactive Technology Achievement to MADD, Pennsylvania's Webmaster, Peggy Caldwell-Heichel (right) at the Pennsylvania DUI Association's Annual Conference.

Peggy Caldwell-Heichel became a victim of a drunk driver September 13, 1990 when a drunk driver hit the car that her family was in.   Her husband David, and 8 year old daughter Phoebe were killed instantly.   11 year old daughter Debbie died hours later in the operating room.   Jai who had turned 7 just the day before the crash, was declared brain dead the following day.   Her daughter MaryLyn, age 9, was critically injured with traumatic brain injury.   Peggy wasn't in the crash as she had stayed home that evening with her two youngest children, 2 year old Kezia and 9 day old Ezekiel.   Below is the nomination that was submitted by Rebecca Shaver, Director of Victim Services, MADD, Pennsylvania State Office.

Peg Caldwell was one of the first victim phone calls that I received in my new position as Victim Services Coordinator for MADD, PA State Office.   That was nine years ago.   I was rendered speechless as she told me the details of their crash in which her husband and three children were killed.   One daughter survived the crash but struggles with brain injury that remains.

Peg has since become one of our strongest, most effective advocates along with other skills she has brought to our organization.   She designed and marketed Caldwell Memorial Markers, and was featured in the summer 1999 edition of the MADDVOCATE.  Peg has done hundreds of Victim Impact Panels and workshops over the years and has impacted thousands of people.

Adding to her many talents and skills are her technical achievements and abilities.  I have included a listing of the WebPages that she has designed.   She has also taught other victims to make their own web page and also to make changes to the page on their own.  All of this work she has done on the Internet is volunteer.   She has not charged anyone to make any of the pages and has not turned anyone down when they have requested to add their loved on to her Victims Memorial Page or when they have asked her to make a web page to remember their loved one.   All sites (with the exception of MADD, PA) are hosted for free so there is no charge to have them on the Internet.

She has reached out to numerous victims all over the USA, Canada, South Africa and Australia who visit her site and then contact her through e-mail.   She personally answers every e-mail that a victim sends her and tries to help them from her own experiences as a victim and by helping them to get in contact with their local MADD chapter.

She has also had numerous e-mails thanking her for her site.  Many have asked permission to use her story in training sessions, prisons, colleges, public schools and workshops pertaining to the dangers of alcohol and driving.

I have listed some of the many accomplishments that Peg has done to help others.   She embodies everything that MADD is all about.   She inspires and amazes me as I have the privilege and honor to call upon her as we work together for MADD's Mission.   She is truly a teacher, mentor and survivor.   Please consider her for this honor.

June 1997 - Peggy's first internet site in memory of her family - http://stopdui.fsn.net/  (technical problems have shut down this site... it is now at http://members.fortunecity.com/stopdui/... soon to be at http://www.duivictims.net/

MADD Websites: 

Online Candlelight Vigils:

  • Christmas 1998

  • Christmas 1999

  • MADD, PA website Christmas 1999

Websites for other victims of drunk driving:

 

More about the Caldwell's  

More about the Heichel's

Misc:

Poems and Writings

Memorial Pages I have made for others