Angels at Work

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Christi was a dreamer from the time she was a small child. Growing up, she wanted to be a veterinarian, a marine biologist or maybe just a marine. Her biggest dream was to be a professional singer, but the one dream that engulfed her was to be a wife and mother. This is the dream that took her from us.

She had a heart of gold the size of Texas that was filled with unconditional love for a man she thought loved her just as deeply. They began dating and Christi became pregnant. Her baby boy, Jaiden, was born on May 31, 2004. Zachariah Melcher and Christi were married on October 2, 2004.

It was Christi’s lack of self esteem that led her to Zach. In grade school, kids made fun of her turned up nose, her freckles and her not-so-perfect teeth.

When she became dating age, she always chose men of questionable character. She didn’t care if they had a drug problem or a prison record or if they were unemployed, she would try to do what ever she could to help. She never felt she deserved love and affection; so once she chose these men, she thought if she loved enough, gave enough, did enough, she could make them love her.

This was true of the man that she married. Almost from the day she met him, Zach was unemployed. He stole her rent money to buy drugs. He had affairs with other women. When I asked her to leave, she said, “Mama, if I can forgive him, I think you should.” He called her names, he controlled and manipulated her, and he isolated her from her friends and family. He took possession of her car while she worked to support him. She couldn’t even talk to me on the phone without him talking to her in the background at the same time. All of this, she forgave. I asked her again to leave. She said “When I stood in front of that church and said “til death do us part”, I meant it.” And that’s what she did.

At 6:59:32 in the morning of April 16, 2005, he choked her to death. She was eight months pregnant with his child. Her name was to be Trinity. After she died, he wrapped a plastic bag around the head of their 11 month old son and waited for him to suffocate.

She will never know how much people loved her and how well thought of she was. People who knew her and Jaiden had nothing but very wonderful things to say. People said Jaiden was “a little piece of heaven”, “a beautiful child and a joy to spend time with”, “so sweet and innocent,” “a little angel,” and a “little man.” And I, being his grandmother, thought he was the most beautiful and most well behaved child ever born.

Christi’s friends and co-workers described her as: “a beautiful young woman”, “a true jewel”, “and the type of lady you had to like”, “never had anything but positive things to say”, “a truly special person”, “her heart and her smile were filled with kindness and love”, “a beautiful soul”.

Moral of the story: Don’t allow anyone to brow beat you, manipulate you, possess you, or abuse you in any way; physically, mentally or emotionally.

Get help. Call some one. Go to a shelter. Your information will be kept strictly confidential. Access the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Website for more information: www.ncadv.org.

Or Contact Us: www.angelsatwork.net
Email: angelsatwork2006@yahoo.com
Phone: 502-637-9598 (office) or 502-727-8294 (cell)

As a result of this tragedy, Linda Young, Christi's mother, has started a nonprofit organization in the same name (Angels@Work). The purpose of the organization is fundraisers for domestic violence awareness. It is Linda's hope to educate young women regarding the signs to look for in perpetrators, and hopefully, someday, to stop the violence before it starts.

If you believe our cause is just, we appreciate your support.