Michigan – A Michigan, mother is grieving the loss of her two young children, 9-year-old DarneI and 2-year-old AmiIah, who froze to death while sleeping in their van. The siblings died earlier this month after the vehicIe they were sheltering in stopped producing heat as temperatures fell well below freezing.
The family, consisting of five children and two adults, had been living in the van for the past three months, moving between various casino parking structures across the city. Despite repeated attempts to seek help, including calls to the city’s homeless services, the family’s requests went unanswered, she reportedly told local news outlets. The mother, Tatteona, reached out to multiple agencies, including the Coordinated Assessment Model, but no assistance was provided.
The city’s mayor acknowledged that the family had contacted the housing hotline several times but was not served. He confirmed that the family’s situation was not deemed an emergency, despite the calls for help. He also mentioned that Detroit has ample resources to address homelessness, but the services were not utilized by the family, local news outlet WSAZ reported.
In an emotional statement, the mother expressed her grief, saying, “It makes you want to break down because that could have been your child. That could have been anybody else’s child.” She voiced her frustration over the lack of help she received, saying, “Everybody now wants to help after I lost two kids? It took my two kids to die for you to help me? It’s too late…”
As the community tries to support the mother, local officials have stepped forward to offer assistance, including providing financial support for housing. A local group has pledged to cover rent for the family for a year, offering them some stability in this difficult time. In interviews with local media, Tatteona claimed ‘asking everybody for help,’ only to never receive help. Said the mom, ‘I called out of state, I called cities I didn’t know, I called cities people asked me to call. I’ve been on CAM list for the longest. Everybody now wants to help after I lost two kids? … It took my two kids to die for you to help me? It’s too late.”