Heidi had a nickname, “Smiley.” From the time she was born until the day she was killed, people would comment about Heidi’s beautiful smile.
Heidi grew up in Bedford County, Virginia and was one of eight children. She had many interests, as she loved academics, sports, outdoor activities, friends, family and most of all her relationship with the Lord. She loved to learn and was home-schooled throughout her school years, but began taking college classes during 10th grade. She ran cross country, played basketball for her church team, and loved camping, skiing, and hiking with her friends. She enjoyed going on mission trips and sharing her faith with her youth group through praise and worship. She played the guitar and sang, but preferred to be in the background. At Virginia Tech, Heidi was pursuing a degree in Bio-Chemistry, as she had a passion for the medical field. During the summer of 2009, she was able to shadow a doctor during a surgical procedure. This solidified her desire to change her major to pre-med. After giving this much thought, she had plans to speak to her advisor at Virginia Tech to make this change but never got the chance as her beautiful life of 18 years was so tragically cut short on the night of August 26, 2009.
Heidi had met David through their church youth group. They treasured their time getting to know each other and spending time together, but they did not officially date until college. They grew to have a great respect for each other, which further guided their love and devotion. Everyone considered them to be inseparable.