Hello, I am Meredith Johnson, my adoptive father is Harvey Johnson and my adoptive mother is Lucy Johnson. My little brother is Derick Johnson and my 3-year-old sister is Montgomery Johnson, I am not related by blood to either of my siblings who are related by blood. Now don't get me wrong I love or loved my parents, it's the way in which they told me that I was adopted that I didn't necessarily agree with. You see, they left this world last week on a Thursday morning. I am the oldest of my siblings, being 14 in the eighth grade; the doctors told me that they had done everything they could. My parents, siblings and I had been out on a boat that we had decided to rent so we could go out in the gulf, we live in Florida in the U.S. but we were just about to head back when disaster struck, we had noticed the winds start to pick up and that's why decided to head back, but we were too late, rain started to pour and the boat shook harshly. We had managed to get a life jacket on me, my brother, and my sister. The boat swayed, almost flipping to the left side and heard my mom telling us to jump. I have always protected my 7-year old brother and my sister, so I scooped up my sister and told my brother to jump, he trusted me, and did as I said, at the same time we jumped, I knew he could swim, so I was okay not holding him too. We had swam a short distance away from the boat and it flipped, "MOM! DAD!" I screamed causing my already crying sister to scream in terror. With tears running down my face I saw a small canoe-like boat drifting right to the side of the boat. I knew that I could look for my parents later, and that they were strong swimmers as was I, so they could've made it, but with by sister on my side I knew I wouldn't be as strong and Derick could only swim for so long, so I guided my upset siblings over to the small boat and sat them there as I remained in the water. I held on to the canoe and realized that the sun had started to come out from behind the clouds, and the wind had slowed, I decided that it was safe to leave Derick and Montgomery in the boat while I went in search for our parents, "stay here until I get back okay" through sniffles and teary eyes they gave me a nod each. I turned around to see an upside down boat. I dove under the water and opened my eyes in the saltwater, which burned but I didn't quite care at the moment because of the risk at hand. I looked around me, and didn't see anything, then I looked down and saw red. I opened my eyes wide but I needed more air, I swam to the surface took a deep breath and swam as fast and as far as I possibly could, I found my mom and my dad, I didn't know who to take up first, but I thought that whoever I did take up would have a better chance of survival. I looked at my mom and my dad, I knew I was strong, but my mom was lighter so I grabbed one of her arms, I looked up, saw light and swam to it, when I reached the top, I didn't realize how much I needed air. I pulled my mom up and swam her over to the canoe boat, "daddy is still down there, I'm gonna go and get him, but if any boats come by try to get their attention okay, and tell them that I was going to be right back. I went back down and grabbed my dad, I had a lot harder time getting him to the surface then I had mom, but I did it and when I got there I saw a small shrimp boat, I sighed in relief, my parents, our parents had a chance after all. The men and woman on the shrimp boat got us to shore and got my parents to a hospital. We had been sitting in the waiting room for what felt like hours when the doctors, finally, came.
