Four siblings who managed to survive a brutal car crash that claimed the lives of their parents and baby sister are continuing to recover in hospital after the horrific tragedy.
The crash occurred on April 7 when the driver of a Chevy Tahoe struck the Texas family’s vehicle head-on, killing parents Jim and Karisa Clemens, and their two-month-old daughter Juliana.
Miraculously, four of their five children managed to survive: Angela, 8, Wyatt, 4, Zachary, 5, and Nicholas, 2.
“It’s really devastating,” Karisa’s aunt, Teresa Burrell, told KTXS-TV of the tragedy.
Since the accident, over $180,000 has been raised for the family through a Facebook campaign. An additional $100,000+ has been raised through a YouCaring page.
A description on the YouCaring page notes that three of Jim and Karisa’s four surviving children are “in critical condition at Cook Children’s Hospital in Ft. Worth.”
“The majority of family is spread out in Houston and San Angelo, Texas,” the description, written by Karisa’s brother, notes. “We just need to do what we can to help these kids recover, feel loved and move forward.”
The fund was set up to help cover “medical bills, memorial costs, and to keep family near the kids while they have a have a long hard recovery at Cook’s.”
Despite their heartbreaking loss, the four surviving siblings have been reunited and are fighting on together, hand-in-hand. Their aunt Teresa described their reunion as a “magical healing moment” as these brave little soldiers lifted each other’s spirits with through singing songs.
“We saw the strength and courage that these siblings give to one another,” Burrell wrote on Facebook. “Zachery has been really struggling and is having a hard time eating and taking his medicines. Besides the physical pain he experiences, he has been depressed.”
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Four-year-old Wyatt was initially paralyzed down the entire left side of his body following a series of strokes. But he is now making stunning progress in his recovery, as Burrell explained in a recent Facebook post that will melt your heart:
“Let me introduce you to our Wyatt or as we affectionately call him Wi-fi. It is unbelievable that just a week ago this little man took his first step in physical therapy after being paralyzed on his left side when he suffered from some strokes caused by the accident. However, now he is an active little boy who is walking (carefully) and playing. He rarely sits still.
This morning he went to visit Angie in her room. After a few minutes of holding hands, Wi-fi was ready to leave and he said. ‘Angie I am going back to my room now.’ She rolled over on her side and looked into Wyatt’s face and said, ‘Wyatt, I need you.’ That active, sweet boy sat and held his sisters hand for another 25 minutes. Wyatt doesn’t sit anywhere for 25 minutes. It was a sweet testament of the love these siblings have for one another.”
While these orphaned children have been making some incredible progress in their recovery, there is still, of course, a long way to go.
“It’s been an incredible journey but it’s just starting,” the kids’ grandmother, Susan Skillicorn, told Dallas-Fort Worth News. “I’m looking so forward to being a light in their future because they warm my heart.”
Skillicorn said that no matter what the future holds for this precious family, she will be be their side.
“I learned a long time ago, you either rise above and make it a better situation or you can choose to be caught up in the drama and the sadness and not help anybody,” she explained. “And for this, the story is a beautiful story of love and hope and a good and a fresh future. That is the story and for that I am grateful.”
The Texas Department of Public Safety has stated that it is investigating the crash.
(H/T: PEOPLE)