Life-Saving Lessons

Now that the trial is over, Jennifer and Neil say they are still stunned by what happened to their family. "Just the sheer disbelief that it happened to me," Jennifer says. "I can't believe this is our life."

Although Neil sought counseling after the crash, he says the absence of his daughter is something counseling can't address. "I'm here. This is what I have to deal with, and I will. But like I said, the good part's over," he says. "We had our plan. We decided we were going to have four kids and that was what we were going to do, you know, and we were set. We were fine. And like I said, that five-second smash defined my life."

Jennifer says she and Neil are active parents to their three other children. "We continue to do a ton with the children that live. Even more because of that ... but there is that feeling that when they do something, you do wish Kate was there to enjoy it as well," she says. "So we do try and we are there. But to see them do stuff ... you know, one is the artist. One is this. One is that. The personalities bounce off of each other. So to not have Kate's there, it always seems like ... she's missing. And it's hard, as much as you're doing it and you're there, it's palpable. It's hard not to feel it."