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EAGLE MOUNTAIN — In this season of giving, an Eagle Mountain man is making sure his son understands the true meaning of the holiday. It's an important lesson for Thomas Powell, who endured tremendous loss last year.
Powell lost his wife and two of his sons in a car crash, just before Thanksgiving, last year. But he's keeping a family tradition alive — helping others. This year, he wants to do something for Primary Children's Medical Center.
"Even though we all have adversity, it's a matter of how you choose to look at it," he said.
The holidays have always had a special meaning for Thomas Powell and his wife, Inndia. Instead of buying each other gifts, the couple gave money to a good cause. It was a tradition they had for most of the eight years they were married, and one that Powell is passing on to his 8-year old son, Anthony.
"I would really like Anthony to know his mother and my beliefs and to grow up with these same beliefs and hopefully pass these on to his children," he said.
That's been even more important the past year. On Nov. 12 last year, Inndia and their two other boys, 3-year old Alexander and 1-year old Ashton, got caught in a snowstorm on I-80. They died when their Dodge Caravan slid off the slick, snow covered freeway and into a river.
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Thomas Powell wasn't sure how to break the news to his 7-year-old son that the boy's mother and two younger brothers won't be home when he's released from the hospital.Anthony wasn't in the car with his mom and brothers because at the time, he was in the hospital recovering from a burn accident.
In the midst of tragedy, he and his dad donated gifts to another family, who was also at the University of Utah Burn Center.
"We really just tried to establish to our children that it's not about us, it's about being in service of other people," he said.
This year, they're collecting children's books to donate to Primary Children's Medical Center.
"I think it's really nice to donate books to people that probably don't have books like this," Anthony said.
Even in tough times, Powell said that he knows there are others who need help too. And for him, that's the true meaning of Christmas.
"Do you choose to look at this rain cloud or do you choose to see this rainbow that's right behind it," he said.
Powell also urges people to donate on their own or just do something else to help someone.
