ROANOKE, Va. – A family motivated by the pain of losing an infant gave joy to dozens of low-income parents.
The Woody family dropped off a bundle of fully-loaded diaper bags at the Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority on Friday. The bags will go to parents living in public housing.
Brenten Woody’s 22-month-old daughter, Amarah Lane, was killed by her abusive mother in 2018. Her mother is now in prison for the crime.
“I’m still trying to figure out ways to handle it, but it hurts every time," Woody said. “I just try to stay strong. That’s all I can ever do, all a parent can ever do, is stay strong.”
Thursday would have been Amarah’s fourth birthday.
“It’s a sad event, but we wanted to give back to the community and make it a better place," Woody said.
Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority executive director David Bustamante said the diaper bags are needed among these communities.
“They don’t have the means to purchase these things,” Bustamante said. “For some of us, it’s common to be able to buy milk, pacifiers, or diapers. For some of these families, it’s just not the norm.”
Woody said he’s proud to do good work in Amarah’s name but wishes she was here to see it.
“I just wish it never happened," Woody said. "I wish she was still in my arms and that I could still take care of her and do the things a parent wants to do.”