My mother used to say that God takes care of little children and fools. In terms of the children, this truism fulfilled itself when a tornado blew through Clarksville, Tennessee, last weekend, destroying Sydney Moore and her fiancé's trailer home, with Moore's 1-year-old toddler and 4-month-old baby caught in the midst of the maelstrom. Their survival is a fitting miracle for this Christmas season--and for Feel-Good Friday.
A Tennessee couple and their two children are seeking a new 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 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.
Moore's boyfriend grabbed the baby, but the force of the winds threw him out of the trailer, along with the sleeping child. Moore said:
He was just holding on to the bassinet the whole time, and they went into circles.
That must have been absolutely frightening. Moore and her family were spared from any falling debris, but she feared her baby was lost. The couple desperately searched for 10 minutes and received their second miracle of the night: the baby was found alive in a tree! She explained:
I thought he was dead. 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.
Amen to that. Sadly, the family lost their car, their home, and all their belongings. Their rental company is providing them with lodging for a month, and the community has rallied around them, providing food, diapers and formula for the babies, and other necessities. But the family of four needs a new home, and with the tornado damage throughout Montgomery County, those are in short supply.
Moore's sister, Caitlyn, has coordinated a GoFundMe to raise money towards getting the family back on its feet and into a home.
Caitlyn Moore wrote, in part:
Luckily everyone came out with minor cuts and bruises, her fiancé suffered a broken arm/shoulder. Lord, the 4 month old had to have his ear glued from a cut. We are told that he looked like he was placed on the tree gently. Like an angel guided him safely to that spot.
What an incredible story of redemption and hope in the midst of chaos and loss. Moore recognized that so many others have also lost and are hurting, so she offered up prayers and encouragement for their support as well.
If you would like to be a part of Sydney Moore and her family's restoration, you can visit the GoFundMe page.
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