CHARLOTTE -- A year ago, a Charlotte family was anticipating the birth of a baby boy, Reed Eddings. However, life for Gentry and Hadley Eddings quickly shifted when a crash in Pender County took both their sons, 2-year-old Dobbs and Reed, who was delivered that day.
"They're doing well,” said Caylene Brown, the director for local outreach at Forest Hill Church. “Their faith has been strengthened and they are just trusting God with everything."
Gentry Eddings is a pastor at Forest Hill Church.
"This community has been changed,” said Brown.
Following the wreck, almost $200,000 was raised for the Eddings.
"Our church took those and then also decided to fill in the remainder of the cost and commit to building a school in honor of Dobbs and Reed Eddings," said
The Dobbs and Reed Eddings Primary School will be built in Haiti.
"Gentry has been to three or four trips to our partner in Haiti, The Village of Ministry, and Hadley has been once,” said Brown. “They worked multiple times with schools in the area and summer camps with the kids, doing Bible study."
In all, 500 children will be able to attend the school in the fall.
"It doesn't change the sorrow that has happened and pain that will come up but it's a way that we can just be like, their names continue to be honored and God will be glorified," said Brown.
The total cost for the school is $350,000 and will be built through Mission of Hope Haiti.
"Out of tragedy when we can see something good and exciting and a way to honor God through what happened,” said Brown.
Matthew Deans, 29, caused the crash that killed Dobbs and Reed Eddings.
Last fall, he pleaded guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 20 to 32 months in prison.
The Eddings have said they've forgiven him.