Scholarship class of Abbie DeLoach Foundation announced
SAVANNAH,GA. (WTGS) — It has been four years since Abbie Deloach died. She was one of five Georgia Southern nursing students killed in a crash on I-16.
Friends and family founded the Abbie DeLoach Foundation after her tragic death. On Friday, the foundation awarded 24 scholarships totaling $138,000.
Anna DeLoach is Abbie’s sister, who said her family has found strength through facing that life-changing tragedy.
“It's really easy to be that strong whenever you understood who my sister was, understanding that-- then you see it through the foundation and you see all these peoples lives being changed,” she said.
Jimmy DeLoach, Abbie’s dad, said the scholarships highlight what Abbie loved, sports, nursing and world missions.
“We have seen a lot of our recipients' progress and move on up into the workforce and enter into it in a very positive way,” said DeLoach.
One of those scholarship recipients was nursing student Morgan Bowen.
“For Mr. Jimmy to have the heart to give back to all of us nursing students and help us get through all of this it is amazing, and I am truly honored that I was picked for this,” said Bowen.
The scholarship luncheon introduced a new program with Nurses for Nations, a nonprofit that will help coordinate trips abroad. Six nursing students will be traveling in May.
Mary McMahon is the Founder of Nurses for Nations.
“We are very excited that the students from the Abbie DeLoach foundation through the generosity and the public are hoping to be able to participate in this mission to Ecuador,” said McMahon.
Anna said what the foundation is doing by helping others and turning a tragedy into triumph is exactly what her sister would have wanted.
“To try and honor her instead of just letting the tragedy define our family I think that it was a good way to look at it what would she want to do and she would want to help others,” said DeLoach.
