July 31, 2010

The death of a local four-year-old nine years ago is bringing folks together through the sound of a special guitar. But there are coincidences that are hard to believe.

To Lisa and William Searcy, Cara Leigh will always be their precious child. Photographs and mementos of the four-year-old adorn the house. Searcy died in a hospital bed in July 2001, due to medical negligence at the hospital.

"Even though it's been so long it's still emotional. It's still hard," says Lisa Searcy, Cara Leigh's mother.

The story of their daughter's passing was in the news, but over the years the name "Cara Leigh" faded out of the headlines. That is until a minister in Mississippi named Shane Price started shopping for a guitar, and he found one engraved with the name "Cara Leigh." He tried to have it removed; he tried to paint it over. But the name wouldn't go away. Price did a google search, and learned about the Searcys. The minister reached out to the Fluvanna County family.

"He asked if we knew anything about the guitar, and we said 'no'. We had absolutely no idea that there was anything like it out there," says Willard Searcy, Cara Leigh's Father.

In their hearts, they felt it was not a coincidence. To the Searcys, it was a sign.

"Of course my first thought was 'she's letting us know she's ok.'"

Shane Price was moved to tell his congregation about the guitar engraved with the name of the child, sharing Cara Leigh's story with hundreds of people.

"My biggest fear is 'I don't want her forgotten' and this was a reminder she's not going to be forgotten," said Lisa Searcy.

The minister planned to give the guitar to the Searcys Saturday, but the family pressed him to find out who the real owner of the guitar is. It turns out the guitar Price found at a pawn shop had been stolen from a teenage girl named Cara Leigh Clarkson from Memphis, TN. She is 15 years old.

"We're glad the guitar is going back to who it belongs to," says Willard Searcy.

A journey that tugged at the heartstrings of two families.

Shane Price tells CBS19 he delivered the guitar to the Clarkson family Saturday. One more coincidence: the Clarkson family lost two children, so they understand the pain the Searcys are going through.

Both families hope to meet each other, and the Searcys hope to finally touch the guitar engraved with their daughter's name.