A Michigan woman whose two children reportedly froze to death last week has garnered more than $50,000 in donations.
A GoFundMe spokesperson told The Detroit News that it will work closely with the fundraiser’s organizer “to ensure funds safely reach Tateona Williams,” the mother of the two deceased children. Williams and her four children were reportedly homeless for around two months and were parking in various casino parking structures when her 9-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter died of hypothermia.
Previously, Williams told WDIV that her late son had severe asthma. She also claimed she had four children — three daughters, and a son — disputing reports that she was a mother of five.
READ: Mom Speaks Out After 2 Children Freeze to Death in Van Parked in Casino Garage
“I turn him around; I see green stuff or brown stuff foaming out his mouth; right then and there, I knew either he had a seizure or he was having one. In my mind, that’s what I thought. I instantly was giving him CPR. When I see that wasn’t working, I threw in my nieces and nephew’s grandmother’s car and rushed him to the hospital,” she recalled.
“I said, ‘Please help. He’s not breathing. Please, somebody, come on.‘” Instantly, as soon as they got to the car, they didn’t even have to touch him, and they called ‘Cold blue’ and asked for a stretcher, and they said, He’s not breathing. He don’t have a pulse.”
Reports indicated that Williams was at the hospital with her son when her mother rushed her 2-year-old daughter to the hospital, as she was also not breathing.
Both children were pronounced dead. Though an autopsy is pending, officials believe the pair froze to death.
“It hurts losing two kids in one night. I don’t wish this on anybody. And if you can get help, please go get help because I don’t want anyone else to go through what I’m feeling,” Williams told WXYZ.
Williams and her children were reportedly unhoused and living in their van. Mayor Mike Duggan revealed on Tuesday that Williams called the city for help in November. At that time, she informed the city that she and her children were staying with family but they would be homeless soon.
Duggar said the family never called the city’s homeless response team after that — and the team never reached back out.
“For whatever reason, this wasn’t deemed an emergency,” Duggan said, per the Detroit Free Press.
WDIV reported that the children spent the night in the van with Williams, who drove to the ninth floor of a parking garage at Hollywood Casino at Greektown. Detroit police Captain Nathan Duda said the vehicle ran out of gas at some point before the mother called a family member about her 9-year-old son, who was not breathing.
The family member arrived at the parking deck and realized the 2-year-old girl was also not breathing. The two children were taken to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
According to The Detroit News, police are investigating their deaths as a criminal matter as they determine whether someone in the van went into the casino or hotel between 1 a.m. and noon on Monday.
Duda said it is believed the two children froze to death. However, an autopsy is pending.
The three surviving children were evaluated and expected to be OK. Child Protective Services is involved as the investigation continues.
Duggan said the city last contacted the family in November. At the time, there were reportedly concerns the family would lose their housing — though no resolution was reached.
According to WJBK, Duggan noted that there is a family shelter miles from where the two children froze to death.
Duda said the mother was detained but she has not been charged, according to The Detroit News.
“I don’t think anyone really wants to think about that at the moment with two children passed, but the reality is that the circumstances do have to be examined,” he said.
[Feature Photo: WXYZ video screengrab]
