Theirs is a friendship born out of tragedy and heartbreak, but Tora Washington and Angela Harris are thankful for each other.

They met, and quickly bonded, over the murders of their two daughters – Aniah Blanchard and Destiny Washington.

Not only do they depend on each other for support in a grief that few can understand, they both are determined to continue their daughters’ legacy by trying to do good in the world.

On Saturday, April 22, Washington and Harris are hosting their first 2 Moms 4 Life Blood Drive in honor of their daughters.

The blood drive will be held from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Covenant Church International at 5407 Old Springville Road.

“We want to be able to give back in honor of Destiny and Aniah,’’ Washington said. “We know there’s a blood shortage and if we can get people to come to give blood, that’s a way of giving to someone who might come into the hospital and need it.”

The 19-year-old Aniah, a Southern Union College student from Homewood, was abducted Oct. 23, 2019, from a convenience store on South College Street in Auburn.

Police recovered the teen’s black 2017 Honda CRV from an apartment complex on the 6100 block of Boardwalk Boulevard in Montgomery around 6:15 p.m. the following evening.

Her remains were found Nov. 25, 2019, in a wooded area along County Road 2 in Shorter.

Ibraheem Yazeed, now 33, is charged with capital murder during a kidnapping, capital murder during a robbery and capital murder involving a victim in a vehicle. A trial date has not been set.

The 20-year-old Destiny, a nursing student, was shot to death at 9:40 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020, in the parking lot of UAB’s student center on University Boulevard during a sale of $90 AirPods.

Former UAB football player Carlos Stephens, 24, was initially convicted of capital murder Destiny’s slaying, but that conviction was later vacated, and Stephens pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of murder. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Prosecutors told jurors Stephens was angry that Washington’s boyfriend was 30 minutes late arriving to their meeting and angry at what followed – which included Keyuntae Moultrie trying to sell Stephens a pair of fake AirPods, raising the previously agreed-upon price and then accusing Stephens of paying with counterfeit money.

On the day after Destiny’s murder, Harris reached out to Washington via Facebook messenger, and later spoke at a vigil for Destiny that was held on UAB’s campus.

“Our friendship started then and two years later, we’re like best friends now,’’ Washington said.

Both now even work together at Tarrant High School where Harris is a school nurse and Washington is the special education employment specialist.

“We work together every day,’’ Washington said. “We hug every day, we might cry every day, but we’re each other’s support.”

“I hate we had to meet on this accord but I’m thankful that God sent her my way,’’ she said. “When I’m having my rough days, I can go to her and cry on her shoulder and when she has her days, I’m there to support her as well.”

“I think God knew we needed each other,’’ Harris said. “We need each other daily.”

Since their daughters’ deaths, both moms have worked to keep their legacies alive.

In November 2022, voters overwhelmingly passed Aniah’s Law, changing Section 16 of the constitution, which concerns the right to bail, a right also covered under the 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Amendment 1 added murder, kidnapping in the first degree, rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, sexual torture, domestic violence in the first degree, human trafficking in the first degree, burglary in the first degree, arson in the first degree, robbery in the first degree, terrorism, and aggravated abuse of a child under age 6 as charges for which a defendant could be held without bail.

Yazeed – the man charged in Blanchard’s kidnapping and murder – had been released from jail on a $280,000 bond after being charged with kidnapping, robbery and attempted murder from a January 2019 incident in Montgomery.

Both mothers have also started scholarships in memory of their slain daughters.

Destiny’s scholarship is set up through Covenant Church International, and Aniah’s is set up through the Homewood City Schools Foundation.

Washington and Harris said they plan to make the blood drive an ongoing event.

“Destiny and Aniah, they were givers,’’ Washington said. “They had big hearts and they wanted to help people so we feel like this would be a great way to honor them. “