Nationwide — Adriana Coleman, an African American mother from Toledo, Ohio, is mourning the loss of her four children and their grandmother after a deadly carbon monoxide poisoning incident. She is sharing her pain as she tries to cope with the unimaginable loss of her family.
Coleman lost her 4-year-old twins, Liberty and Legacy, along with 3-year-old Storm and 4-year-old Stone. Their grandmother, 36-year-old Candace McAllister, also died in the tragedy. Coleman made the difficult decision to remove Legacy from life support on Friday.
According to ABC7, the family died after carbon monoxide filled their vehicle while they waited for help with a flat tire on Wednesday. The incident happened in the 300 block of Phillips Avenue near Detroit.
Authorities said the children’s father called 911 after he arrived to assist and found the family members unresponsive inside the car. Coleman said investigators told her the carbon monoxide levels inside the vehicle were five times higher than the amount considered lethal.
Coleman remembered McAllister as someone with a lively personality who brought joy to the people around her. She also asked others to keep her husband in their thoughts as he deals with the loss.
The grieving mother said she will miss hearing her children laugh, play, and fill their home with life. She said her days revolved around her children and that she does not know how to move forward without them.
“Everything I did was for my kids,” Coleman said. “It seems so surreal now because life has stopped for me right now cause I’m here, but I have no idea what’s going to happen after I walk out these hospital doors… I just want my babies.”
A fundraiser has been created to help the family cover funeral costs, as they did not have life insurance.