Portsmouth, VA — Firefighter Mark Reynolds never imagined that a routine emergency call would become his worst nightmare.

On a typical Thursday evening, Station 17 was dispatched to a multi-vehicle crash. Reynolds, a 12-year veteran, rushed to the scene, unaware his own life was about to be shattered.

At the crash site, two cars had collided head-on, and a third hit the guardrail trying to avoid the wreck. Reynolds and his team quickly worked to stabilize the situation and help the injured.

Then came the moment no first responder ever wants to face. As Reynolds approached an overturned car, something caught his eye: a silver heart pendant hanging from the mirror. “It was the necklace I gave Lisa for our anniversary,” he said. “I remember freezing for a second… I kept telling myself, *It can’t be her.* But then I saw her hand, and I knew.”

The call that began like any other ended in tragedy—one that would forever change Reynolds’ life.