Sixty-seven people lost their lives in Wednesday night’s air disaster in Washington, D.C. The tragedy happened when an American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter at Reagan National Airport. The terrible event reminds us of the small world in which we live. Bill Melugin of Fox News had a friend who perished in the deadly crash.

Here’s his remembrance of Wendy Shaffer. (READ)

The sixty-seven whose lives ended in a flash had friends and family. This catastrophe affects those left behind presently but will ripple through the rest of their lives. Commenters share their thoughts.

Thousands of posters reacted to the loss of Wendy Shaffer and offered their condolences to Melugin. Here’s a sampling.

There is a huge void created by the loss of a loved one. This presents other challenges including financial ones. Family and friends of Wendy Shaffer have started a GoFundMe account to help her husband, Nathan Shaffer, and their two boys.

Per the outreach effort's founders, the money raised will go towards, ‘funeral expenses, childcare, education and the day-to-day needs of the family as they adjust to life without their beloved wife and mother.’ As of this writing, more than $118,000 has been raised.