Dealing with the death of a child is tragic. The pain of witnessing seven family members die in a crash is unimaginable.
But those are the memories that weigh on the heart of Marina Ortiz as a tragic anniversary approaches.
Her family drove off the end of an unfinished bridge in Mexico nearly a year ago on Thanksgiving. There were no warnings, no signs. Just darkness.
Ortiz remembers the day that she and her family were on their way to Mexico to feed families in need, to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. But there was no celebration. Only death.
"My mother, my brother, my nephews," Ortiz said. "It was just too much."
Ortiz lost seven of her loved ones in the crash, including her daughter, 7-year-old Kaylinn.
"She was just full of surprises," she said. "I just miss everything about her."
She saw her daughter and relatives drown. They were riding in the SUV in front of her when it plunged off an unfinished bridge in the state of Chihuahua. It's a vision that haunts her every day.
"This year, the rock bottom that I hit was the first day at school," Ortiz said.
That day, she went to the cemetery.
"I stopped by to visit my baby and from there, I can't tell you how I got home," she said. "And from there it just went downhill. I did everything that I shouldn't have done. The last thing I know, I woke up in the hospital."
She nearly took her own life, but family, friends and faith gave her the strength to live.
"My family, my uncle, my aunt, my cousin," she said, "they've been our rock."
Nearly a year after the crash, Ortiz and her family are left with many unanswered questions about the construction and the moments that followed the crash. They are still waiting for the results of the investigation, waiting for a meeting with the governor of Chihuahua, and waiting for justice.
"There are a lot of things that could have been prevented in that road up there, but nothing was done," Noe Rodriguez said. "Why? That's our question."
The anger, the pain, and the loss are keeping them home this Thanksgiving. Their family tradition in Mexico is on hold, but in memory of their loved ones, they are giving back.
"It's a hard time as we're hitting all the holidays, but now we're going to use our time to help others," Ortiz said. "And our angels are watching us."
They are celebrating the blessings in their life with a message for other families.
"Live every day like it's your last day," Ortiz said. "Enjoy your family, your babies. And that's all we have at the end of the day -- is your family."
The bridge has since been completed. The Mexican government said they met Wednesday about the case but wouldn't say what was discussed.
