PHOENIX — Sitting in her backyard with a panoramic view of the Superstition Mountains, Karen Perry will tell you there is no moving on after losing a child. In Perry’s case, she lost all three of hers.
“I never thought I could live one day without my children, much less 10 years,” Perry said.
It was November 23, 2011, when her daughter Morgan, and sons Logan and Luke were set to spend Thanksgiving with Perry’s ex-husband.
They got into a plane for Safford with Perry’s ex-husband’s business partners.
“It was a really dark moonless night,” Perry said.
It was the night before the Thanksgiving holiday when the plane they were in crashed into the Superstitions.
“They just went into the rock and the plane was full of fuel so it basically exploded,” Perry said.
While her children died in the crash 10 years ago, Perry recalls stories with such detail you can picture the personality each of her kids had.
“They were all joys, they were all amazing joys,” Perry said.
While in the midst of the tragedy of losing her children, Perry was able to find passion and purpose.
“I’ve used their memory to honor other people, to help other people,” Perry said.
In the last 10 years, Perry has started a non-profit, 3 Wings of Life, to offer equine-assisted therapy to children, released a book about her grief, and each year takes a hike to where her children died.
“Being there is my way of honoring my children, but I can’t hike this time,” Perry said.
This year, a horse-riding accident that broke her back has her making other plans to commemorate the anniversary.
“I was really looking forward to the 10-year hike,” Perry said.
As for the next 10 years, Perry said it’s not about moving on from the deaths of her children.
“But you can move forward,” Perry said.
Perry is forever holding onto her children’s memory.
“I’m grateful that I had those beautiful, sweet babies for as long as I did and I wouldn’t trade that for anything,” Perry said.
Inspiring Arizona
Watch more incredible stories from the Grand Canyon State on YouTube.