TEXARKANA, Ark. -- Parents often are the source of motivation for their children.
However, for local resident Sheerie Graves, the process is reversed.
"It was my son's inspiration that now inspires me, because he had such a giving heart," Graves said of Mecedric Monte "Buddy" McFadden, 18, who died in an automobile accident shortly after 6 p.m. Feb. 5 on U.S. Highway 67 just south of Fulton, Ark.
Graves said she was at home in bed when her oldest daughter, Shemyah McFadden, called about 9 p.m. to tell her about the wreck.
"She was crying because she told me that one of her friends had passed by Buddy's car and saw that it had been in a wreck. So from there, we both decided to go to Wadley (Regional Medical Center) and (CHRISTUS) St. Micheal hospital to see if we could find him, in case he had been brought there if he was hurt," Graves said.
At St. Michael, the pair met up with Graves' mom, Wake Village resident Mildred Graves. The elder was speaking by cellphone with an Arkansas State Police trooper, who notified her that her grandson had been pronounced dead at the scene.
Upon learning of her son's passing, Graves said she collapsed and had to be given an IV.
"I woke up the next morning, and I still felt like everything was so unreal," she said. "My family was still there with me, and they decided to keep me sedated a little longer."
Following her brief hospital stay, Graves said she fell into depression and deep despair for at least another couple of days.
"My other kids were eventually able to help me along with funeral arrangements," she said.
To this day, Graves attributes her real mental recovery to what she believes to be her son's golden heart toward others -- which inspired her to start Divinity Help nonprofit charitable organization in March.
"It was his inspiration that encouraged me to start this charity" she said. "He had a giving heart, because he would give to the homeless and I wanted to continue his legacy."
Through her organization, Graves said she has been able to volunteer with Mission Texarkana every Tuesday and Thursday for the last two months.
"After I got over my depression, I've been able to help prepare food plates and help out with serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. both of those week days,"she said. "This is what I did for comfort and this is what has grown out of my son's influence on my life."
With Mission Texarkana open just on weekdays, Graves said she decided to use her Divinity Help funds to also prepare lunch sacks, which she delivers to the homeless and the disabled on the weekends.
"So far, I've been able to distribute as many as 40 lunch sacks to homeless people living on the streets and near local motels," she said. "But I really need to prepare as many as 200 sacks."
Born in Fresno, Calif., Graves moved to Mineral Springs, Arkansas, while still in elementary school.
After graduating from high school in 2002, she remained in Mineral Springs before moving to Texarkana five years ago.
Besides the lunch sack distributions, Graves recently started praying with women detained in the Bi-State Justice Center jail.
"I want to pray for these women who are searching for God," she said. "I also want to start handing out bottled water with biblical scriptures -- all because of my son's inspiration."