Nanaimo Teen Turns Grief Into Hope

NANAIMO - It's the story of a young Nanaimo man's courage. He lost his parents when the car they were in collided with a train - killing them both.
His younger brother is in hospital with brain injuries - unable to walk or speak. Still, 17 year-old Shawn Hall takes everything one day at a time and has decided to look for something positive in his grief and tragedy.

Just 2 weeks after the tragedy, Shawn Hall returned to John Barsby Community School. On October 14th, Shawn lost his parents - 44 year old Rosanne Perreault and Lyle Hall - 49 - were killed instantly when the car they were in collided with a south bound train in Nanaimo.

Shawn's 14 year-old brother - Andrew was in the backseat at the time of the crash. He was flown to the BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver with brain injuries. Without his parents and his younger brother in hospital in Vancouver, Shawn spends half the time at home and half the time at his girlfriend's parents' place.

In honour of his parents and to help Andrew and other kids at the BC Children's Hospital, Shawn has organized a benefit rap concert. Entry is by donation of money for the hospital or food for the Loaves and Fishes Foodbank.

The benefit concert will be held Friday night between 6:30 and 9:00 at the Nanaimo Youth Services Association building on Bastion Street. The crash has prompted a rare safety inquiry of the railway crossing where Shawn's parents died.

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