JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — According to statistics, 25,000 children have lost an active duty parent in the military over the last 35 years. Most of those casualties are men, leaving behind single mothers to care for their families.
"I was 15 at the time and found out my dad had passed. I just remember not fully processing it at first," Emma Wilkenson said.
Wilkenson, a Jacksonville native, was just a freshman in high school when her father, United States Navy Captain Wade Wilkenson, died by suicide after serving multiple deployments.
"You don't really process grief until much later," she said. "At first, it was kind of initial shock."
Emma Wilkenson, her older sister, and her mother's lives changed forever.
"It's kind of jarring, because you go from being in this very, you know, in this community, that you've been part of your entire life to just being outside of it," Wilkenson explained.
Wilkenson was connected with Children of Fallen Patriots, an organization that provides college scholarships and education counseling to military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.
"Our statistics show that most of our widows are making less than $50,000 a year, and they have two to three children on average," Cynthia Kim said.
Cynthia Kim is co-founder of Children of Fallen Patriots. She says, so far, the organization has given away close to $52 million and helped 2,200 children.
"Some of the kids don't even realize how much money is available to them. We help them access all the funding that's available to them," Kim added.
Because of this program, Emma graduated debt-free with her bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida. She now works for the organization.
"Having my dad die when I was 15 was very tragic. But, through the support that I've gotten from this organization and knowing the people that are behind me, I've been able to turn that into me helping other children like me," Wilkenson said.
If you've lost a loved one in the line of duty and need educational help for your children, click here.