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The Governor General honoured Andy Moffitt on Friday. |
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It was the final act of parents for the child that had been lost to
them. Paulette and Rod Moffitt went to Quebec City to meet the Governor
General and get the Medal of Bravery for their son, Andy.
Then, yesterday, they went to the cemetery to formally and solemnly present it to him.
Andy Moffitt died on Dec. 23, 1998, stabbed through the heart while trying to break up a fight at an Ottawa restaurant.
"When we received notification that Andy was awarded the Medal of
Bravery from the Governor General, that was the first day we felt joy
since Andy was murdered," said Mrs. Moffitt, of Brockville.
"In my heart -- he's my son and I love him. And sometimes you think
maybe he should have looked the other way. Then we'd still have him.
But then somebody else would have got that knife, and some other family
would be hurting."
Mrs. Moffitt hopes her son's example will inspire others to work toward ending violence.
"There's been so much violence. All you have to do is turn on the television, that's all you see now," she said.
"I've always been proud of my brother," said Rod Moffitt Jr., "and I
know that what he did that night, even though it cost him his life, was
ultimately the right thing."
Yesterday, he got his medal.
"I wish you were here," Mrs. Moffitt told her son. "And I miss you."
