Disclaimer: If you’re walking through your own storm right now, please just read, share, and stand with me. There is zero expectation to give. We are all doing the best we can with what we have.

Finishing the Map for Randie Ann: A Journey of Love, Loss, and Light

About Me

Hi, my name is Sherell, and I’m a mother on a mission — a mission born from love, loss, and an unbreakable promise to my daughter, Randie Ann.

On April 20, 2021, we celebrated what would be her final birthday on this side of Heaven. That day, I gave her a gift that represented hope and adventure — a giant wooden U.S. map and the word “Wanderlust.”

Randie laughed as we put it on her wall, saying, “Mom, I had to Google what wanderlust even means.” She found the definition:

A strong desire to travel and explore the world.

That moment became the beginning of a dream. Together we promised:

We’d visit all 50 states, one by one — “50 Nifty United States from 13 original colonies, shout ’em, scout ’em, tell all about ’em one by one” (a song I learned as a young girl in middle school) — filling each state with photos, memories, and meaning.

That was our pact. Our plan. Our joy.

The Day Everything Changed

But just a few months later, in August 2021, my world shattered.

Randie Ann was murdered during an online sale meetup — a preventable crime.

No parent should ever receive that call. No mother should ever have to turn her child’s dream map into a memorial.

Yet here I am, determined to finish the journey we started — and to make sure no other family endures what mine has.

Turning Pain Into Purpose: #RandiesLight

Since losing my daughter, I’ve traveled across the country leaving her cards, telling her story, and sharing her light. It hasn’t been easy. There’s been no big organization behind me — just faith, resilience, and a mother’s love turned into movement.

What began as grief has become a mission:

#RandiesLight — a campaign for awareness, prevention, and healing.

This mission is about more than just finishing a map. It’s about saving lives through:

Online safety education — how to safely buy/sell items online

Community awareness — helping others recognize risks and protect one another

Violence prevention and mentorship — guiding youth before tragedy strikes

Family healing and advocacy — supporting parents and siblings of victims

Empowerment through storytelling — turning pain into purpose

Every stop I make — every state I visit — will carry her light and her legacy forward.

The Road Ahead

I have 13 states left to visit — the final stretch of our map. My goal is to travel those states with purpose:

Speaking at schools, churches, and community centers

Partnering with local law enforcement on safety initiatives

Meeting with families affected by violence

Creating safe-exchange awareness campaigns

Leaving #RandiesLight cards in every place we touch

The trailer I’m working toward will be my mobile base — a place to travel, share, teach, and rest along the way.

How You Can Help

Here’s how supporters can join the movement and help keep Randie Ann’s light shining:

Share this story to raise awareness about online safety and prevention.

Invite me to speak in your community, school, or organization.

Use the hashtag #RandiesLight to spread her message of awareness and hope.

Randie Day Forever, #RandieDay

Every year on April 20, I celebrate Randie Day — a day of remembrance, reflection, and radiant purpose.

I’ll continue finishing this map for her, with her, and in her name.

Thank you for standing with me, sharing our story, and helping light a path that keeps other families safe.

#RandiesLight

#FinishTheMap

#Wanderlust

#RandieDay

#OnlineSafety

#PreventionStartsWithUs

With love,

Sherell