Charisse Thomas lost her daughter and grandson in separate wrecks involving drunk drivers. She continues to spread awareness.
HOUSTON — As families across Texas prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks, cookouts and gatherings, one South Houston mother is using the holiday weekend to deliver a powerful message about the dangers of impaired driving.
Charisse Thomas is continuing to turn heartbreak into advocacy after losing both her daughter and grandson in separate crashes involving drunk drivers.
KHOU 11 first introduced viewers to Thomas last December, when she created a moving Whataburger-themed memorial in her front yard honoring her daughter, Destani, whose favorite restaurant was Whataburger.
Now, that memorial has grown into something even bigger.
“At Christmas time I had about 60. I’ve gotten well over 100 now,” Thomas told KHOU 11’S Michelle Choi, referring to signs in her front yard.
The growing collection of photos represents survivors and victims killed by drunk and distracted drivers. This latest installation includes American flags placed alongside the photos as a reminder of the lives lost and the families forever changed.
“They’re my people now, you know,” Thomas said. “This is my family.”
Destani was just 18 years old when she was killed by a drunk driver near home in 2020.
Two years later, Thomas suffered another devastating loss when her 4-month-old grandson, Carson, was also killed in a crash involving a drunk and distracted driver.
Despite unimaginable grief, Thomas has dedicated herself to raising awareness and advocating for safer choices behind the wheel.
She speaks to inmates in prison, shares her story publicly and hands out small items carrying anti-drunk driving messages to encourage conversations about road safety.
“If I can touch one life or save one life, I think I’ve done what I’m supposed to,” Thomas said.
With the Fourth of July holiday considered one of the busiest drinking weekends of the year, Thomas hopes drivers think twice before getting behind the wheel impaired.
“It’s a celebration and people are drinking and celebrating, but be responsible,” she said.
Thomas says impaired driving crashes are preventable.
“This is 100% preventable. You don’t have to drive when you’ve been drinking,” she said.
For Thomas, every photo in her yard represents more than a statistic. It represents a life that mattered and a family still living with loss.
“I feel like honoring them, never letting their name not come out of our mouth,” Thomas said.
She says she plans to continue growing the memorial and using her voice to advocate for victims.
“As long as I have a yard and a mouth, then I think I will continue to do this every holiday,” Thomas said.
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