On Tuesday, Sonoma Valley High School freshmen and sophomores witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of drunk driving when Tony and Brandon Silveria visited the high school. The Silverias are a father/son team who travel the country telling Brandon’s tale of a life changed forever by a bad choice. Their goal is to inspire teens to make the right decisions in life and to live responsibly by not drinking and driving.
Sophomore Collin Clyde called the presentation “scary.” “It’s hard to believe how real it is and how fast it can happen and change your life forever,” said Clyde who has seen the effects of alcoholism and has chosen not to drink because of it.
The assembly included a talk by Brandon Silveria which was at times difficult to follow due to his ongoing speech issues, and a short film documenting the accident.
As the story goes, the then 17-year-old Brandon suffered massive brain trauma after crashing his car into a tree following a high school party where he consumed a number of beers. He was rushed to the hospital and survived the accident but remained in a coma for months. During his subsequent rehabilitation, Brandon had to relearn everything including how to walk, speak, and even swallow.
In Brandon’s words, he had the world at his fingertips with a job, a car, a girlfriend and more and he threw it all away because of one “stupid choice.”
Following the film, Tony Silveria took the microphone to address the students, describing the accident from a parent’s perspective. He elicited a gasp from the audience when he cited the figure of $5 million needed to cover Brandon’s medical bills and another set of murmurs when he stated seven out of 10 families break apart when faced with a tragedy of this nature. Finally, he challenged students to think about putting their family life in jeopardy each time they wrestle with making the right decision.
The Silveria’s tour of Sonoma and Napa is sponsored by Diaego, the world’s leading spirits, wine and beer company. Diageo will also feature the duo at an employee event at their facility in Napa to teach parents about the dangers of drunk driving and to encourage an ongoing conversation about underage drinking with teens.