PORT ANGELES — When Stevens Middle School put up a paper tree for students on which to hang their holiday wishes, 13-year-old Priscilla Achten knew her wish wasn’t like the others.
Some of her peers wished for more presents, others for snow, still others for a family member to come home from long military service tours.
“I wish,” Priscilla wrote, “my dead sister would get the grave stone she diserves [sic].”
‘Needed to be done’
Para-educator Deborah Leonard couldn’t get the wish out of her head.
“For a while, I tried to let it go, but it was really on my heart that something needed to be done for this baby,” she said.
So on Feb. 8, Priscilla’s wish came true, thanks to Leonard and a group of community donors.
That was when the gravestone was installed at Ocean View Cemetery with Priscilla, her mother, Emily, and Leonard present.
Telissa Michelle Achten died May 29, 1999 — 11 days after her first birthday.
Her death was officially ruled as sudden infant death syndrome.
“This was something that should have been done a long time ago,” Priscilla said.
“It should have done even before I turned 4.”
Priscilla said she had wondered whether to post her wish on the tree at school.
“I told the counselor [Lori Esget] about it, and she said that if that was my wish I should put it up there,” Priscilla said.
When Leonard mentioned to other faculty members how touching the anonymous posting was, Esget told her she knew who the originator of the wish was.
“I knew that even though I didn’t make very much money I needed to do this — when God lays something on your heart you don’t just ignore it,” said Leonard.
She arranged with a meeting with Priscilla’s mother.
Emily Achten said she was beyond words of gratitude when she heard what Leonard and the school wanted to do.
“I was just in tears,” Achten said.
“It was obviously something I had always wanted to do, but I was not financially able.
“And also to open up all of that again, I just didn’t know if I could.
“But then to have everything done for me. I just don’t have the words.”
Skills, other help donated
John Richert of Port Angeles donated a slab of granite as soon as he heard the story.
Then local engraver Lesa Oppelt at Stone Image engraved it at cost, and the city of Port Angeles — which owns the cemetery — waived the $200 installation fee.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Leonard said.
“The whole community just really came together to make this happen for that baby.”
Both Emily and Priscilla said the headstone is something on their list of life goals that is met.
“It really is something — the very first thing on my list — that I was able to cross off,” Priscilla said.
Priscilla said now that her mind is at ease that her sister’s memory has been taken care of, she wants to pursue the rest of the goals on her list.
“I am going to change this world,” she said.
“I have so many things that I want to do.”
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladaily news.com.
