This story was posted on the View News website about a car seat drive in Christy's honor. (http://www.viewnews.com/2004/VIEW-Aug-18-Wed-2004/SWest/24517224.html)

LOST CO-WORKER: Safety gifts of love
Friends spearhead child car seat effort for longtime friend
By TIFFANNIE BOND
VIEW STAFF WRITER

Christy Hebert loved tuna and hated small paper clips. She called Marie Callender's "the tuna store," and went to lunch with her seven friends at Southwest Gas Corp. daily.

After hours, the ladies would gather for Margaritas or one of their kids' soccer games. Christy and friend Joanne Arballo's teenage daughter would spec out cute guys at the games. A single mother, Christy was always ready for fun.

The seven ladies at Southwest Gas now only have their five years of memories to draw a smile.

On Jan. 3, Christy was traveling on U.S. Highway 95 near Cheyenne Avenue. A dump truck was parked in the emergency lane, but Christy didn't see it in time. Her car rear-ended the truck. Although she was wearing her seatbelt and the airbag deployed, she didn't survive the accident. Her two daughters came away with only scratches.

The spunky 31-year-old could never drive her friends to lunch because car seats for her 5- and 7-year-old daughters were firmly strapped into the back seat. By law, at that time, the children were old enough for traditional seatbelts, but Christy felt differently.

The decision saved her daughters lives.

"It was horrible we lost her, and we were crushed, but we're so grateful Chelsea and Alyssa are still here," said Arballo, a friend and co-worker. "It's still so fresh. It's only been seven months. I think we're all still working through it."

Soon after the accident, Arballo had an idea to keep Christy's name alive while helping a cause dear to her heart. She sat on the idea for a few weeks, but something finally urged her to tell the group.

Arballo suggested collecting new and gently used car seats from fellow employees at Southwest Gas and donating them to Building Blocks Child Care Center, where Christy used to take her girls. She wanted to make the delivery in time for, what would have been, Christy's 32nd birthday on Aug. 7.

The campaign began July 26.

"These guys don't mess around," Arballo said.

With only about six weeks to meet the task, fliers were printed, alliances were built and car seats and cash donations started to arrive. Members of Business Bank, where Christy's sister works, also jumped in to give to the cause.

The ties at Southwest Gas were strong. Christy's mother, Alice Barnhart, also is an employee. As of Aug. 7, the group collected $1,245 and 11 car seats. The money will be used to purchase additional car seats for donation. The group is deciding which organization they should send the leftover car seats.

Nelda Blodgett, director of Building Blocks, said car seats will definitely be used as loaners for parents or grandparents who pick up children and don't have a car seat as well as for families who can't afford them.

The average car seat ranges between $30 and $80, they said.

"We have a lot of parents where mom drops off and dad picks up," Blodgett said. "It will be nice to have car seats so no matter who they are with, they have a car seat."

In June, the car seat law changed from children required to be in a car seat from age 4 or 40 pounds to age 6 or 60 pounds. Many parents had gotten rid of their car seats and had to return to purchase another once the law changed.

"There's a lot of parents who can't afford to buy a new car seat," said Tammi Duffy, coordinator of the project for Business Bank. Her daughter Kaitlyn, 3, attends Building Blocks. "You get rid of it all, and you have to go out and buy again."

Christy didn't get rid of her car seats when Chelsea and Alyssa, now ages 8 and 6, respectively, reached the legal age and weight, and it saved their lives.

"She would be so pleased what we're doing," Tyndall said.

"She'd be embarrassed," Arballo added, laughing.

"We want to keep her alive with us," Tyndall said. "She had this personality where you know if you went someplace with her, you know you'd have a good time."

The group of seven women at Southwest Gas are still dealing with the empty desk, empty hearts and full memories of their friend. Chelsea and Alyssa Hebert went to live with their father in Victorville, Calif., but the friends are in touch with them often. They recently celebrated birthdays and sent the ladies thank-you cards for their gifts.

Christy even had her daughter, Alyssa, jokingly betrothed to Arballo's dimple-ridden 5-year-old son, Jared.

"We find each other telling each other we love each other even though before, we never said it," Tyndall said.

"I think we took for granted we had all this time," Arballo added.

"We just miss her," Patsy Tinderholt said.

Christy's birthday has passed, but the donations are still coming in, not to be turned away by Southwest Gas or Business Bank.

"The delivery we wanted to do for her birthday," Arballo said. "I think there will be some residual stuff going on after that."

The project has kept Arballo, Susana Ruiz, Tyndall, Tinderholt, Yvonne Cain, Rosa Casillas and Yvette Robson together, working on a cause their friend took seriously. It helps to focus them, but they still need tissues for their eyes time and again.

"Even though we feel sad, we still can laugh because she brought so much fun into our lives," Tyndall said. "The things that really make you remember her. Those things make us smile, too. Just good memories."

"I have ups and downs with it," said Yvonne Cain. "It's something good, but it's still sad."

Stories of golden pigs, trips to Marie Callender's, soccer game sidelines, Margaritas and office goofiness bring smiles and tears to the close-knit group. A photo on Casillas' desk holds a photo of Christy with some of the ladies. The picture frame has "friends forever" engraved on it.

And they will be.

"She kept us together," Tyndall said. "We just bonded from the beginning."

Those interested in donating a car seat in Christy Hebert's name can contact 250-9769 or 262-1624. To learn more about Christy Hebert, visit the Web site at www.christybarnhart.com.