SPRINGFIELD, MO – Springfield school officials are looking to turn one wrong into a right after a miscommunication led to heartbreak for one Springfield mom.
Holly Lambert hopes people realize the importance of communicating with those who have lost loved ones.
Lambert’s 10-year-old son Joshua was killed in a plane crash north of Willard in 2012.
Joshua’s school, Sequiota Elementary, set up a memorial bench for him after the crash.
Just this week, Lambert realized, that bench was gone.
“I was in shock and I literally had an anxiety attack,” said Lambert. “I started walking the playground thinking maybe they moved it and I couldn’t find it.”
Lambert took to Facebook to write a post asking for answers.
Lambert spoke with a representative from Springfield Public Schools who told her the removal of the bench was a miscommunication.
SPS officials told us the wooden bench was removed because of termite damage.
“We have expressed our wishes that we do everything possible to honor the memory of Josh,” said Stephen Hall of SPS. “We’ve talked to them about a number of ways that we can continue to honor his legacy, that’s our commitment to them.”
Lambert said she is thankful Springfield Public Schools is taking ownership for the removal of the bench.
However, she told us something like that cannot be replaced.