She met him selling candy at Poplarville High School. He was older (she was a Freshman at the time) and when he called her over to him, he took her candy box and wrote his phone number on the inside. She never called him (that was her way); when he finally lost patience and called her, she pretended she couldn’t remember who he was.

That is the sweet beginning in the love story between Adam Sheffield and Corrina Smith of Poplarville. It was  a time of extreme happiness and a close bond between the two of them that extended to include both  their families. It was a time of adventures and a bright future as the couple discovered they were expecting  a baby mere weeks ago.

On the evening of April 2nd, Sheffield lost his life in a one car accident in Poplarville. No one knows what happened on that evening as he was on his way to Smith’s home, but the “Item” reported “rainy conditions could have been a factor in a fatal accident…”

Smith’s mother, Mary Janean Smith, says, “Adam was the crew trainer and cook at Hardees in Poplarville and was financially supporting them both while Corrina lived at home where we could take care of her since she has been so sick with the pregnancy.

“He was driving her car because it had better gas mileage than his truck. It was storming that evening and he had worked late but  he was on his way to our house to see about Corrina when the accident happened.”

She recalls, “(Adam) radiated love. He was one of the good ones; he was a helper and full of joy. He loved us all and we loved him like he was one of our own. He was always there for Corrina and they both were so happy. She is devastated from the loss of Adam.

“We had gone to the doctor about a week ago and Adam got to hear the baby’s heartbeat for the first time. He was so looking forward to being a daddy. It’s all he talked about.”

In one of his papers for college titled “I may not be a super hero…” Sheffield wrote about himself and how he enjoyed helping people.

He writes, “Maybe I am not a super hero … but I can still do small things to help people when they need it most. I have helped in big situations (Hurricane Katrina efforts), smaller situations (being a blood donor) and situations in between (volunteering at Brother’s Keeper food pantry) and the feeling that comes afterward is way better than any reward. Even if I am not a super hero, I can still do things that will make a difference in people’s lives and help them in their time of need.”

“That was Adam,” says Corrina Smith, “he was all about cheering people up and you could never be sad around him. He would do whatever it took. Even when I was sick from being pregnant, he would smooth my hair or tell me funny jokes, he could never stand to see me sad.”

Thankfully, the girl who pretended she couldn’t remember who Adam was, began a huge scrapbook from their first date until their last weekend together filled with all of the special moments of their relationship.

Mrs. Smith says, “He left her notes; so many notes. He left her sweet voicemails and wrote poems on pages for her to find in a book she bought him. He would let her play with his hair and use all of her barrettes and flowers; anything for her happiness. He was going to be an amazing father.”

Smith ends their scrapbook together with a letter to Adam which reads, “I’m just thankful that God found it in his heart to let you love me out of all people. I was lucky to have met you. I am thankful I got to experience true love while I was still so young because some people go an entire lifetime without knowing what it feels like. —Forever and always, Your Corrina Jean.”

Last week, Smith had her first ultrasound and though she is still in tremendous pain from Adam’s death shared the bittersweet experience with her family and his (including Adam’s fraternal twin brother, Andrew). She placed the ultrasound photos and other momentos in his casket so he would always have them near him.”

Her mother reflects, “Now she is without her childhood sweetheart, the father of her child and her only vehicle, but God will see her through this. So many people have asked what they could do and the account for the baby was the best thing that we could think of. There is a Trust Fund set up at First National Bank of Picayune and Poplarville in the name Baby Sheffield if anyone would like to help.”