She Died Today

Josee-Anne Desrochers died today. She was admitted into the hospital with pneumonia on Thursday. She is gone today.

She wasn't a woman that was a world celebrity. In fact, she was just a simple woman, going through her everyday life in obscurity. She was just an ordinary person like you and I.

Then one day, on August 10, 1995, her 10-year-old son, Daniel Desrochers, was killed when a jeep exploded on Adam Street, where he played with a friend in front of a Montreal School. His life was taken from him in a matter of seconds. His future quashed, her family destroyed.

My friends that have gone through this experience tell me that a mother never truly recovers from the death of her child. I believe them. I can't imagine how I could go on if my son was taken from me.

Some mothers fall into the deep dark abyss of depression and never return. Some mothers try to put the shattered pieces of their lives back together as best that they can. My book Angels Watching Over Me is about a woman, Carissa Forbes (true identity remains undisclosed to public), who is one such woman.

Other mothers reach out and help grieving mothers through prayers, support groups, and websites. My writer for Storytime Tapestry, Sharon Bryant, is one of these women.

Then there are woman like Josee-Anne Desrochers who decided that a support group was not enough for the families of the victims of tragic and senseless deaths. She vowed that her voice would be heard and if she could help clean up the streets of Montreal and make it a safer place for children everywhere she would.

Josee-Anne Desrochers called for a public inquiry to determine if the police could have prevented her son's death, and if they could catch his killer. The death was a result of Montreal's infamous "biker gang wars" and it caused a public outcry. Daniel Desrocher's death was attributed to the Hells Angels, Nomad Chapter of Montreal, warring against the equally infamous "Rock Machine."

A provincial task force, known as the "Wolverines," was eventually created to look into biker activity. However, the Hell's Angels continued to strive. But the Wolverines eventually brought them down.

Today, as I listened to the news, CTV Montreal stated that Josee-Anne Desrochers was instrumental in her efforts to bring down the Hells Angels, Nomad chapter. She created a lobbying group that gave the long overdue voice to the victims of violent senseless crimes.

Today, I mourn the death of a courageous woman, a simple mother, an ordinary person just like you and I. She was a woman on a mission and she will forever remain a hero in my mind.

Carol Roach

Carol is a native of Montreal, Canada. She holds a Masters in counseling psychology and is the author of the book: Picking Up the Pieces: A Woman's Journey.