Nikolas Lanum is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. And he said he could hear it coming. During surgery for deep lacerations to her abdomen, one of Meghan's lungs collapsed, then the other, and now she's breathing with the aid of a tracheotomy, her aunt says. Annistyn Rackley was photographed clutching a doll while huddled next to her sister in the family's bathtub while her other sister kneeled in front of them. "Meghan is fighting for her life," says Meghan's aunt, Sandra Hooker, 62, who is also a teacher. Hooker said that Annistyn Rackleys family hadnt yet unpacked from their move Dec. 4 from Caruthersville to their new home along Highway J, just west of the city. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Tuesday morning, ABC24 Memphis spoke with the children's father, Trey Rackley. Trey and Meghan Rackley Gov. "Sometime during this conversation, she Snapchatted that picture of the girls in the tub. And she said, 'I prayed to Jesus to take care of me. Hooker teaches gifted students at the same elementary school where Meghan Rackley teaches kindergarten in Caruthersville, which is nestled next to the Mississippi River in whats known as Missouris Bootheel region. (Stephanie Greenwell) The loss, it is exponential, Mandi Alexander, a long-time friend of Meghan Rackleys, said. Annistyn also attended the same elementary school where her mom and Hooker teach. The family member is grateful for her community's emotional and financial support to date, as they pray the mother and elementary school teacher pulls through. #inwx https://t.co/OYyRAjX82B. Annistyn also attended the same elementary school where her mom and Hooker teach. In this photo provided by Sandra Hooker, from left, Avalinn Rackley, 7, Alanna Rackley, 3, and Annistyn Rackley, 9, pose for a picture in a bathroom in their home near Caruthersville, Missouri. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. According to the NWS, quarter-sized hail is also possible in those areas. She was the best kid. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The entire Rackley family took refuge in their bathroom before a tornado-one of more than 30 storms that ravaged through five states-lifted the home and deposited it into a field. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Le Bonheur Children's Hospital doctors are now treating Annistyn's younger sister, 7-year-old Ava, with surgery scheduled Wednesday to treat broken vertebrae in her back. "They brought Baby MawMaw to me, and Im cleaning her up so that Ava can have Baby MawMaw," she said. Get ready.' "Then she said, 'Then I'll have to be the big sister to Lani.'". Theres debris strewn forever out in the field, and so they were sucked up into the tornado.. Hooker prays they'll provide further comfort when they are placed in Annistyn's casket and buried alongside her. Fifteen minutes later, Sandra Hooker said, a tornado splintered the home, carrying the family members dozens of yards through the air into a field where first responders found them in mud. The National Weather Service later confirmed two "brief tornadoes" touched down in two Chicago suburbs during the storms. Annistyn, a third-grader who loved swimming, dancing and cheerleading, died, one of dozens killed in five states. Gov. Here's why. Lani, the youngest, was released from the hospital Sunday, but still with hairline fractures in her vertebrae, Hooker says. 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Market data provided by Factset. Although much of the area will see rain, thunder, lightning and gusty winds, other parts will see stronger storms with damaging winds up to 60 miles per hour, the NBC 5 Storm Team says. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. All rights reserved. or redistributed. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Kentucky tornado: Facebook groups race to reunite people with belongings including boats, bills and photos found strewn more than 100 miles away, A woman threw a house party with 65 men she matched with on Tinder and Hinge and connected with the man she's been dating for a year. Amid Meghan's fight, the family is keeping vigil while they and their community make plans for Annistyn's funeral. "But I do believe a miracles. Annistyn Rackley, 9, poses for a picture while attending a cheerleading competition in Arizona. In this photo provided by Sandra Hooker, from left, Avalinn Rackley, 7, Alanna Rackley, 3, and Annistyn Rackley, 9, pose for a picture in a bathroom in their home near Caruthersville, Missouri. And it was like the house 'popped. Ky. Tornado Survivors Speak Out as Death Toll Hits 64: 'I Kept Praying, Please Let Me Get to My Kids'. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Hooker said she and others are relying on their faith, especially after hearing what the surviving middle daughter Ava told doctors. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. "Her stomach was distended, and they were looking to make sure that she didn't have some kind of belly bleed," Hooker says. She said she bonded with Annistyn during doctors visits and blood draws and said the girl liked to draw with chalk on the cement of her carport. All rights reserved. (Meghan Rackley/Courtesy of Sandra Hooker via AP), Memphis LGBTQ+ activists protest Gov. (Meghan Rackley/Courtesy of Sandra Hooker via AP). Sandra Hooker shares a photo of Annistyn Rackley taken minutes before she was killed in storm. Tornadoes also roared through both the Missouri and Illinois sides of the St. Louis area, as well as the Memphis, Tennessee, area and parts of Arkansas and Illinois. Hooker said after a prayer vigil Sunday, searchers in the field near the Rackleys house found the doll that Annistyn was holding in the photo. (Summer Alexander/Meghan Rackley/Courtesy of Sandra Hooker via AP), Aunt shares tragic story of 9-year-old Missouri girl killed by tornado as mom fights for her life. Annistyn, a third-grader who loved swimming, dancing and cheerleading, was among dozens of people who died because of the severe storm on Friday. Her husband and three daughters were thrown from the home, "Where's their safe place going to be? Earlier reports showed the strongest parts of the storm likely to be in southern Kankakee county and into Northwest Indiana. Hooker teaches gifted students at the same elementary school where Meghan Rackley teaches kindergarten in Caruthersville, which is nestled next to the Mississippi River in what's known as Missouri's Bootheel region. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. She said she bonded with Annistyn during doctors visits and blood draws and said the girl liked to draw with chalk on the cement of her carport. Her husband and three daughters were thrown from the home, killing one of the children . The Rackley family also received gift cards from the former President and his family as Christmas gifts. "In spite of everything, she was just always so brave, just you would never know, she was always smiling. "Some rain could be heavy at times, and a few storms could be on the strong/severe side during the morning hours," NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman says. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. "About 7:23, I texted Meghan and I told her, 'The storms are about 15 minutes away. (Summer Alexander/Meghan Rackley/Courtesy of Sandra Hooker via AP), BIDEN TO TRAVEL TO KENTUCKY TO SURVEY DAMAGE FROM EXTREME WEATHER. And she sent me a Snapchat picture of the girls in the bathtub. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Seven-year-old Avalinn told doctors she flew around in the tornado, Hooker said. He wanted to turn over Annistyn's favorite blanket, thick as it was with mud stains after being found in the field. The other family members were injured, but survived. ", Hooker recalls Ava asking her grandmother, 'Where's Anni? 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West of St. Louis, 84-year-old Ollie Borgmann, described as a sweet and "typical grandmother," died at a hospital after a tornado on Friday blew the Defiance, Missouri, home she shared with her 84-year-old husband, Vernon, off its foundation. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. ", "Trey said Lani had gotten out of the tub and he got on top of her, on the floor," adds Hooker. Legal Statement. Trey and Meghan Rackley and their three daughters sought shelter in a windowless bathroom in their southeast Missouri home as storms raged across the country's midsection. "Her car was moved probably 30, 40 feet from where it was and turned around. Annistyn also attended the same elementary school where her mom and Ms Hooker teach. Tornado victims include granddad who 'stole the show', Tornado-slammed parts of Kentucky face long recovery, Storm victims include Missouri girl, aunt's 'special angel', Kentucky tornado - latest: Death toll hits 88 amid claims workers were threatened with firing as storm neared. Our hearts are shattered over the loss of Annistyn, Proctor Moore said. EXCELENTE OPORTUNIDAD DEPARTAMENTO CNTRICO EN COSQUIN, OPORTUNIDAD CHALET VILLA MIRADOR DEL LAGO. Trey and his youngest daughter survived, but the impact left his wife Meghan in a coma in a Missouri hospital, his 7-year-old daughter in a Memphis hospital, and claimed the life of his oldest daughter, Annistyn. He and the youngest daughter, 3-year-old Alanna, are no longer in the hospital. EYEWITNESS TO DEADLY KENTUCKY TORNADO DISCUSSES STATE OF COMMUNITY: WE LOST OUR HISTORY. She loved dancing.. Hooker also said she talked to the girl's father. "They had abrasions and scrapes, bruises, lacerations, little cuts. Hooker said Meghan Rackley's injuries included broken bones, a brain injury and a large cut, and she's asking people to pray for the 32-year-old mother. ", "But Ava had been asking about her mother, 'Is mommy alive?'" However, that watch soon turned into a warning across Jasper, Newton, Porter and LaPorte counties. Their house is splintered, she told The Associated Press. "And she did," Hooker tells PEOPLE, "right up till the tornado killed her. "The loss, it is exponential," Mandi Alexander, a friend of Meghan's, said at an emotional gathering of some 200 people Sunday at a riverside park to memorialize the young girl, TV station KAIT reported. Trey's Jeep was probably a hundred yards from the house where it had been parked. Hooker said Annistyns parents learned when she was 2 months old that she had a rare liver disorder in which bile ducts dont develop properly, sometimes making it hard to fight off illness. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. A miracle recovery: Mother severely hurt in Decembers tornado released from hospital, Police investigating after student brings gun to school, NEA fares well at 5A State Swimming Championships, 2023 2A State Basketball Tournament: Marmaduke girls beat Rison in 1st Round, 2023 2A State Basketball Tournament: Bay boys beat Dierks in 1st Round, 2023 2A State Basketball Tournament: Rector boys beat Acorn in 1st Round, 2023 2A State Basketball Tournament: Earle boys beat Junction City in 1st Round. And while the NWS earlier Monday said the threat of severe weather was "diminishing," a a slew of tornado watches and warnings were issued throughout the 10 a.m. hour. An extended Missouri family is grieving, after a tornado ripped through their home this weekend, claiming a young life and changed the lives of the survivors forever. The middle child, Avalinn, or Ava, had broken vertebrae in her back and was expected to undergo surgery Wednesday, Hooker said. Meghan Rackley was hospitalized for several weeks after the Dec. 10 tornado hit her home. But she said Annistyn still was full of energy and delighted in donning outfits and makeup for cheer competitions and learning new dances from TikTok. The other family members were injured but survived. A candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, and an Amazon facility in Edwardsville, Illinois, were hit. Mike Parsons office said that about 30,000 Missouri residents initially were without power. (Meghan Rackley/Courtesy of Sandra Hooker via AP). Hookers account of what happened to the Rackleys came from talking to law enforcement and first responders who were at the scene after the tornado and found family members in the field. Ava was still in pediatric intensive care as of Monday afternoon. Annistyn, a third-grader who loved swimming, dancing and cheerleading, died, one of dozens killed in five states. She did cartwheels and splits in front of Hooker. Hooker said it was Annistyns favorite, and she called it Baby MawMaw. She said she talked to the girl's mother, Meghan Rackley, on Friday afternoon about the possibility of bad storms. According to forecast models, the chance for such weather will be the highest south of the Kankakee River, and along and south of Interstate 80, forecast models show. Loved ones said the Friday night storm in Caruthersville, Missouri - about 75 miles north of Memphis - killed nine-year-old Annistyn Rackley and put the mother, Meghan Rackley, in a coma. In Pemiscot County in southeastern Missouri, bordering Arkansas and Kentucky, where the Rackleys live, the sheriffs office did not immediately return telephone messages Monday seeking comment about the storm that destroyed the Rackleys home. Family of Missouri Tornado Victim Annistyn Rackley Pays Tribute Human Interest Younger Sibling of 9-Year-Old Missouri Tornado Victim: Now 'I'll Have to Be the We need continued prayers for Meghans improvement and getting her settled in a new normal when she gets to come home.. Fifteen minutes later, Sandra Hooker said, a tornado splintered the home, carrying the family members dozens of yards through the air into a field where first responders found them in mud. "Where I felt like I was losing the grip on her and I let my phone go and I grabbed her and pulled her back in, and next thing I know we were dropped in a field," Rackley said. If you are interested in helping, CLICK HERE. ", [6:00 AM 2/27] The severe weather threat appears to be diminishing, although gusty winds in stronger showers will be possible this morning. After Ava reached a hospital in Memphis, Hooker said, she learned from family there that the young girl had told doctors and nurses, I was flying around in the tornado and I prayed to Jesus to take care of me, and he spit me out and the tornado spit me out into the mud.. We celebrate our miracle, Meghan doing so well, when originally we didnt even know if she would ever wake up, Meghans mother, Pamela Proctor Moore, told KAIT8s Chris Carter. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. This video is Her father, Trey Rackley, a 37-year-old trucking company dispatcher, suffered cuts and bruises and remains sore and sometimes in shock, Hooker said. Hooker said that the girls mother is "fighting for her life" and unresponsive in the hospital after sustaining severe brain trauma, broken bones, and deep lacerations. To prove they were in their safe space with the storm approaching, the girls mom texted her Aunt Sandy a photo of the three in and next to the bathtub all of them smiling, 9-year-old Annistyn holding her favourite doll. And she texted back and she said, 'I'm in the bathroom.' "They brought in a specialist to clean the debris out of her eyes. On the right, the Rackley family poses for a picture while on a trip to Sedona, Arizona. Both the strong storms and heavy rain will likely move out by noon Monday, the NBC 5 Storm Team says. She was the strongest kid.". Ms Hooker teaches gifted students at the same elementary school where Meghan Rackley teaches kindergarten in Caruthersville, which is nestled next to the Mississippi River in whats known as Missouris Bootheel region. When all is said and done, forecast models show rain totals are likely to clock in over an inch, with 1.18 inches predicted at O'Hare International Airport. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. She said she bonded with Annistyn during doctors visits and blood draws and said the girl liked to draw with chalk on the cement of her carport. Annistyn, a third-grader who loved swimming, dancing and cheerleading, was among dozens of people who died because of the severe storm on Friday, Dec. 10. A young girl, pictured in a photo taken during Saturday's severe weather in Missouri, died during the storm, a family member confirmed. (Meghan Rackley/Courtesy of Sandra Hooker via AP), AMAZON WAREHOUSE COLLAPSE IN ILLINOIS: ALL MISSING PEOPLE NOW ACCOUNTED FOR, POLICE SAY. In Pemiscot County in southeastern Missouri, bordering Arkansas and Kentucky, where the Rackleys live, the sheriffs office did not immediately return telephone messages Monday seeking comment about the storm that destroyed the Rackleys home. MISSOURI GIRL, PICTURED 15 MINUTES BEFORE TORNADO HIT, FOUND DEAD IN FIELD DOZENS OF YARDS AWAY, In this photo provided by Sandra Hooker, from left, Avalinn Rackley, 7, Alanna Rackley, 3, and Annistyn Rackley, 9, pose for a picture in a bathroom in their home near Caruthersville, Missouri. She said it was Annistyns favourite, and she called it Baby MawMaw. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. ", "I believe she was an angel walking among us, because she was so kind and sweet and loving and caring, not just to me, but to everyone," she says. Mike Parsons office said that about 30,000 Missouri residents initially were without power. "There's debris strewn forever out in the field, and so they were sucked up into the tornado.". ", "And then as she recovered, she said, 'Am I gonna die?' All rights reserved, WATCH: Procession Escorts Body of Fallen Chicago Officer From Hospital, Storm System Could Bring Rain, Snow, and Gusty Winds to Chicago Area Friday, Chicago Police Officer Shot and Killed on Southwest Side, Chicago Police Release Details of What Led to Officer's Fatal Shooting in Gage Park. And her grandmother assured her that she was not gonna die," continues Hooker. "There was a lot of loud, loud noises and banging," Rackley recalled on what he felt and heard Friday night, minutes before the tornado made a direct hit on their home. The rain will subside in the evening, when the focus will shift to the wind, the NBC 5 Storm Team says, with strong gusts expected across most of the region. Trey and Meghan Rackley and their three daughters sought shelter in a windowless bathroom in their southeast Missouri home as storms raged across the middle of the country. Tornadoes also roared through both the Missouri and Illinois sides of the St. Louis area, as well as the Memphis, Tennessee, area and parts of Arkansas and Illinois. Trey and Meghan Rackley and their three daughters sought shelter in a windowless bathroom in their southeast Missouri I would just gasp because she could do the splits all the time, and she would just laugh, Ms Hooker said. Seven-year-old Avalinn told doctors she flew around in the tornado, Ms Hooker said. Hooker said after a prayer vigil Sunday, searchers in the field near the Rackleys' house found the doll that Annistyn was holding in the photo. "I just ask everyone to pray that Meghan will wake up and come back to us," said Hooker. On the right, the Rackley family poses for a picture while on a trip to Sedona, Arizona. Released from the home, `` There 's debris strewn forever out in the tornado, Hooker recalls Ava her!, but survived LaPorte counties just always so brave, just you would never,! 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