A Detroit mother is grieving after her two children, aged two years and nine years, froze to death while they were sleeping inside a van.
The mother, identified as Tateona Williams, has been living with her four children inside the vehicle for the last three months as they struggle for housing. She woke up this week to find two of her kids unresponsive.
Two Children Freeze to Death
The two children were later brought to the hospital and pronounced dead, and medical experts believe that the cause was hypothermia. It was revealed that the Detroit family's van ran out of gas overnight and stayed under below-freezing temperatures.
The horrific tragedy sparked national attention, and the mother said that she tried her best to find a home for her family to sleep in before her two kids died. She also revealed that she called a homeless service for assistance in finding sufficient housing.
On Thursday, Detroit's Deputy Mayor Melia Howard said via a news release that the city is working closely with Williams' family after learning about the tragic death of the two children. The victims were identified as Darnell and Amilah Currie, according to KPLCTV.
Williams later talked about her two-year-old daughter Amilah, who was not even able to live her life as she was still so young when she passed away. The mother said that her child froze to death because she was forced to sleep inside a vehicle.
Mayor Howard said Detroit's Department of Housing & Revitalization is "working diligently" to secure stable housing for the affected family. She added that they hope to have Williams and her children settled into a safe and comfortable home by this weekend.
Looking for a Place To Sleep In
Williams said that her children ate well, went to school, and "didn't want for nothing." She said that she made one mistake: being too proud to ask for help. The only ones she called were the city and her children's father, Fox2 Detroit reported.
The 29-year-old mother said that the father of her children had an excuse every time she tried to ask for help. He was either working, the family couldn't come where he was living, was living with a woman, or something else.
On the other hand, when Williams called Detroit's homeless solutions agency, she was greeted with another unhelpful reply as she was told that they do not have family beds available. The last time that she called the agency was in November 2024, and it was noted that the city never followed up with the family afterward, as per Fox News.
