Hi everyone, my name is Martha, and I just have to share something that’s been weighing heavily on my heart. I’m a mother of three, and reading the news over the weekend made me sit down and just… pray. I need to put my thoughts somewhere, and I hope this post will spark a conversation that maybe saves someone’s life—or at least makes us all pause before we let anger take the wheel.

On Sunday morning, near Ponchatoula on North Hoover Street, something happened that is almost too painful to put into words. A 17-year-old girl, seven months pregnant, was shot—five times. Yes, five times. And now, as of the latest reports, she’s in the ICU, on life support. I can’t even begin to imagine the fear she must have felt in those moments, and I can’t stop thinking about the baby she carried so carefully for seven months. The doctors were able to deliver the baby via C-section, and thankfully the baby seems to be okay—but the horror of seeing a young life hanging by a thread, and knowing the mother is fighting for hers, is something that hits differently when you’re a parent.

Deputies are calling it road rage. Road rage. Can you even believe it? They say there was little to no traffic that morning, yet somehow, a disagreement on the road escalated into a nightmare that now touches an entire community. Tailgating, cutting each other off—what sense does that make? What logic could ever justify a teenager being shot over something so trivial? I keep thinking about the family who will wake up every day to the reality that their child is in a hospital bed, fighting for life, and they don’t even know what will happen next. And I think about her little baby, born into a world where their first memories will be wrapped up in fear and grief.

I just keep asking myself—what are we teaching our children when moments like this happen? Where is our humanity when someone lets anger dictate their actions on the road? I am heartbroken. And I think the worst part for me is the helplessness you feel as a parent. When you see a mother in danger, when you see an innocent baby affected, your heart doesn’t just break—it shatters into a thousand pieces. I can’t imagine being in that hospital room, waiting, praying, and hoping that someone somewhere is watching over my child.

I want this to be more than just another tragic news story. I want it to be a reminder. Life is fragile. Anger is dangerous. And God, in His mercy, gives us every day as a chance to show love, patience, and compassion—even in moments of frustration. Sheriff Sticker said that commuters should take this as a reminder of what to do on the road, and I agree—but I think it’s deeper than that. This isn’t just about traffic rules. This is about how we choose to live with one another. How we allow God’s peace to guide us instead of our tempers. Because clearly, when we don’t, people die. Families are torn apart. Babies are born into fear instead of safety.

I don’t want to live in a world where tragedies like this are normalized. I don’t want my children to grow up thinking that losing control over a minor inconvenience is acceptable. And I certainly don’t want anyone else to have to experience the fear and despair that family is facing right now. My prayer is for healing, for grace, and for justice. And my hope is that this story sparks reflection, conversation, and change.

I urge every single one of you, whether you’re behind the wheel or just living your life day by day, to take a moment and think. Think about the consequences of anger. Think about the lives you affect when you let road rage—or any kind of anger—take control. Pray for those who are hurting, and pray for yourself to have the patience and wisdom to be better, to be kinder, to be safer.

Let’s not let this tragedy be forgotten. Let’s honor that young mother and her baby by learning something from her story, by showing more love, and by committing ourselves to making roads—and the world—a safer, more compassionate place.