A Tennessee couple and their two children lost their home after a large tornado ripped through their community and swept up their 4-month-old child, who was found alive in a nearby tree following the tragedy.
Sydney Moore, her boyfriend and
their children were inside their home last Saturday, Dec. 9, in Clarksville
when the EF-3 tornado, which left six people dead and more than two dozen
injured, touched down in Montgomery County.
Moore said the tornado, which
destroyed the couple’s mobile home and other belongings, picked up her
4-month-old child, who managed to survive the horrific event.
“Something in me just told me
to run and jump on top of my son,” Moore told Nashville’s WSMV News of her
efforts to protect her eldest child, a 1-year-old. “The moment I jumped on him,
the walls collapsed.”
Recalling what exactly happened
that evening, Moore told the outlet that her boyfriend could see the tornado
envelop their home before it was ripped to shreds and the baby’s bassinet was
picked up.
“The roof came off first, the
tip of the tornado came down and picked up the bassinet with our baby,” she
said. “He was the first thing to go up.”
Moore said her boyfriend lunged
to rescue the baby and ended up getting thrown out of the home along with the
infant, who was asleep at the time.
“He was just holding on to the
bassinet the whole time, and they went into circles,” Moore recalled.
Despite the circumstances,
Moore said she and her family were able to escape from the debris and search
for their baby, all while fearing the worst.
After about 10 minutes of
searching, Moore said she and her boyfriend found the baby alive in a tree that
had fallen in the rain.
“I thought he was dead,” she said. “I was
pretty sure he was dead and we weren’t going to find him. But he’s here, and
that’s by the grace of God.”
“I will die for my kids. That’s
not even a question, and my boyfriend would do the same thing,” Moore added.
Moore and her family were left
with little to no personal belongings after the tragic incident, but the
community has reportedly rallied to support the young couple and their children
by providing them with formula, diapers and other necessities.
Now, nearly a week after the
couple faced the tornado head-on, the family is searching for a new home.
A member of Moore’s family has
also established a GoFundMe to help the family rebuild and buy necessary items
for themselves and their children.
Moore’s sister, Caitlyn, wrote
in the GoFundMe listing that Moore and her children “came out with minor cuts
and bruises” after the tornado destroyed their home. Moore’s boyfriend,
however, according to the GoFundMe listing, “suffered a broken arm/shoulder.”
“This disaster has affected
more than just this family, so I would like to extend my thoughts and prayers
to everyone affected,” Moore’s sister added in the fundraiser’s listing.
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