Her Facebook Post On How She Lost Her Husband And Son Is Going Viral
January 07, 2016
She’s Using Her Tragedy To Try To Save Others
People say it all the time -- “Your life can change in a heartbeat.” And it’s true. Credit: Facebook / Destiny Mantia For Destiny Mantia, life was good. She was married to her high school sweetheart, Corey. They’d been blessed with a beautiful baby boy, Parker, who was 15 months old the day everything changed. Because, you see, when Destiny’s life took a sudden turn, sadly it was for the tragic. [rsnippet id="3" name="Article-Ad"] In an instant, she went from being a loving wife and mother to being the sole survivor of a horrific car crash. It sounds like a movie scene or a horrible nightmare. But for Destiny, it’s the reality she must live with day to day. Credit: Facebook / Destiny Mantia Perhaps the biggest tragedy of all is what caused the terrible accident that claimed the lives of Destiny’s loved ones. It was all due to the poor decision of a complete stranger. That decision cost the stranger her own life and forever altered Destiny’s. And it could have all been avoided had that stranger never chosen to drink and drive. And so, on the one year anniversary of the tragedy, Destiny wrote a heart-wrenching account of that fateful day. She never expected it to go viral, but it did. To date, her original post has been shared nearly 60,000 on Facebook. It carries an important message, and it’s our prayer that it will be one that helps to save lives and spare others of this kind of heartbreak. Keep reading for an abbreviated version of Destiny’s emotional post. . .Credit: Facebook / Destiny Mantia A year ago today was like many other days. Corey Mantia woke up and went to work. Parker and I stayed at home and played together all day. Corey later came home played with our sweet baby as we waited to load up for a[n]...appointment. [rsnippet id="2" name="ArticleAd-300x250-3"] Well, time comes for us to leave. Little did we know in a few short minutes everything would change. We would no longer get to live our future together. Any dreams we had would no longer happen together. Credit: Facebook / Destiny Mantia We wouldn't get to purchase our first house together, we wouldn't get to take Parker for his first haircut, his first day at school, and our family would never grow. This would be it. Everything we would have ever known would come to an end and not by choice. Credit: Facebook / Destiny Mantia On our way to this...appointment my amazing husband whom was driving, my precious baby whom I still nursed and kept rear facing watching Mickey Mouse Club house, and I were struck nearly head on at an excessive speed by a drunk driver. This is a date and time that will forever be embedded in my head. The action of this one selfish person who thought they were "ok" to drive instantly took the life of my sweet innocent 15 month old son in the back seat. Credit: Facebook / Destiny Mantia She would cause my husband and I to be airlifted from the scene where my husband would lose his fight 24 hours later. She would cause a family to be devastated and emergency personnel to need counseling. One selfish decision to drink and drive caused me to be a widow and a mom to an angel at the age of 21. She has caused many nightmares with the news of various reports being released such as an autopsy of my baby being sent to me or many reconstruction pictures. Many things a 21 year old should never have to see or imagine. She ended any dreams that we may have had together and caused pain I never knew existed. Credit: Destiny Mantia via ABC News That day the Destiny that was a mom and wife died as well. I've [since] had to find myself. I never knew the strength I could pull out that I never knew I had. I think I was able to find this strength through the prayers and support of many friends and family and also an amazing widows group who kept me knowing I was normal for feeling how I felt. This hurt, pain and our future could [have] all been prevented if someone would have stepped up and stopped this selfish woman from drinking and driving. You can save someone's life too! Don't allow your friends and family drink and drive. Don't share DUI checkpoints. Be an advocate! Stand up with me! Let's stop this. One is too many. DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE! Credit: Facebook / Destiny Mantia
Our hearts break for the pain Destiny has had to endure. Please lift her up in prayer. We pray her story will deter others from making the same mistake. And we ask that God will send her a peace that only He can provide in the midst of such sorrow.
“My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.” Psalm 119:50See what this State Trooper did for 4 kids who’d just lost their parents! h/t: Little Things See how one man’s tragedy helped bring another hope!
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Peaceful Family Vacations - Your Daily Prayer - July 15
Family gatherings aren’t always easy, but they’re full of opportunities. Here’s how God can use even stressful vacations to teach us about peace, perspective, and His faithful love.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Peaceful Family Vacations - Your Daily Prayer - July 15
Family gatherings aren’t always easy, but they’re full of opportunities. Here’s how God can use even stressful vacations to teach us about peace, perspective, and His faithful love.
Past Stories
July 2025
- At 103, She’s Her Bowling Team’s Oldest and Most Cheerful Player
- Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Saves 165 People From Camp Mystic, 'I Was Just Doing My Job'
- He Lost His Whole Family to a Flood, Ten Years Later, He’s There for Others in Texas
- Two Texas Sisters Share About Surviving the Flood at Camp Mystic
- Brave 12-Year-Old Boy is Honored After Saving His Family From a House Fire
- A Daughter Finds Connection to the Father She Never Knew Who Died in Vietnam
- She’s Raising Two Sons with a Rare Condition—and Showing Others How They Thrive
- A Neighbor's Call Saves the Life of a Newborn Baby Whose Mom Had Passed Away
- After Months of Paralysis and a Ventilator, Mom Talks to Young Son and Tells Him 'I Love You'
- Shelter Dog Detects a Stranger's Medical Emergency and Becomes a Hero
- Grieving the Loss of Their Daughter, They Chose to Keep Fostering Hope
- Gloria and Bernice, Identical Twins Turn 100, Celebrate Decades of Memories
- Father of Three Dies After Being Struck By Lightning While On Golf Course
June 2025
- Married 18 Years, Parents of 4 Are Both Diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer
- He Lost His Wife. She Lost Her Husband. Together, They Found a New Beginning
- She Earned Her Degree, Then Gave Her Dad a Second Chance at Life
- They Were Told Their Pup Had Been Hit By a Car, 4 Years Later They Found Her Alive
- New York Soccer Coach Collapses On the Field, Parents Jump in to Save Him
- Community Gathers to Remember 12-Year-Old Girl Who Died in a Scooter Accident
- After Surviving Family Tragedies, Stroke, and Coma, Teen Walks in Her Graduation Ceremony
- Civilian Stops to Save Woman in a Burning Car, 'It Could Have Been My Mom'
- They Adopted a Baby Boy, Then Extended Extraordinary Grace to His Birth Mother
- Cancer Survivor Shocks Everyone With His 4th Lottery Win
- Brian Wilson, Co-Founder of the Beach Boys, Passes Away at 82
- Vietnam Vet Passes Away, His Mailman Rushes to Adopt His Dog
- 4-Year-Old Called a Hero After Teacher Collapses at Daycare, and She Knows Exactly What to Do
- After 100-Mile Journey, Including a Swim, Missing Golden Retriever Mix is Finally Back Home
- Life Delayed Her Dream, But Didn’t Deny it. At 88, She Became a Graduate, and Witness to God’s Timing
- Gary Sinise Opens Up About His Son’s Death and the Gift of Grandfatherhood
- Young Girl is Saved by Good Samaritan After Falling 15 Feet Into a Waterfall
- Retired Alaska State Trooper Helps Rescue Husband Pinned by 700-lb Boulder
- 9 Year Old Boy Saves Mom and Newborn Sister By Calling 911, 'My Mom Could Have Died'
- Police Escort Paralyzed Teen to Prom Years After Childhood Shooting
- Young Boy in Wheelchair Walks at His Kindergarten Graduation, Surprising His Family
- Woman Credits Her Faith After Tire Flies Through SUV Windshield in Near-Death Crash
- 98-Year-Old Twins Cherish Life, Love, and Faith While Living Next Door to One Another
- Airman Served in WW2, Now He is Finally Coming Home 81 Years After He Died
- Teens Are Heroes After Saving Family From Fire On Their Prom Night
May 2025
- She Survived 3 Weeks Lost in the Wild, Fighting Off Animals and Snowstorms
- Triplets Graduate From Texas Tech Together, All Earning Degrees in Media and Communication
- She Lost Her Son's Baby Book, But It Was Returned to Her at the Right Moment
- Man and His Dog Reunited After Being Hit by Drunk Driver
- Nurse With Caring Spirit Says Yes to Dying Mother's Wish For Her Son, and It's Beautiful
- She Never Told Her Friends She Was the School Mascot, Then Shares Her Secret at Graduation
- Mom Donates Kidney to Daughter, Now They’re Graduating Nursing School Together
- Grieving Son Finds Kindness When Trying to Print a Photo of His Mother Who Just Passed Away
- Nebraska Mom Raised Concerns About Husband's Mental Health Before Tragic Murder-Suicide
- Brothers Discover 1976 Message in a Bottle, Then Find the Man Who Wrote It
- California High School Discovers They Have 14 Sets of Twins in Their Graduating Class
- Paralyzed Pup Tyrion Finds New Life With a Doggie Wheelchair
Top Artists
Top Music Videos
Bill and Gloria Gaither Guy Penrod's Stirring Live Performance of 'Then Came The Morning'
Brad Stine Has Issues Brad Stine’s Hysterical Take on Adam Naming the Animals is Pure Gold
chris rupp Chris Rupp’s Soul-Stirring A Cappella Version of 'Beautiful Savior' Is a Must-Listen
Universal Music Group Dolly Parton, Blessing Offor Captivate In 'Somebody's Child' Official Video
toby mac TobyMac Releases Heartfelt Lyric Video for ‘Goodbye (For Gabe)’
Blog
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.