Current:Home > InvestSignalHub Quantitative Think Tank Center:Her 10-year-old son died in a tornado in Tennessee. Her family's received so many clothing donations, she wants them to go others in need. -AssetPath
SignalHub Quantitative Think Tank Center:Her 10-year-old son died in a tornado in Tennessee. Her family's received so many clothing donations, she wants them to go others in need.
Will Sage Astor View
Date:2025-04-11 04:08:19
As the Burnham family mourns the death of 10-year-old Arlan Garrick Coty,SignalHub Quantitative Think Tank Center who died during a tornado that swept through Tennessee on Saturday, donations are pouring in — so many clothing donations, his mom says, she wants them to go to others.
Arlan, a fourth grader, was one of at least six people who died when severe storms tore through central Tennessee. He didn't make it out of his house, which was in the direct path of the storm, his mother, Katherine Burnham, wrote in a Facebook post Monday.
After saying their Clarksville home was gone, Burnham admitted she and her husband "are not okay."
"We don't know how to navigate through this," she wrote. "We have no idea what is next. Anyone who knows me at all knows how much I love and adore my kids, all kids really. I cannot put into words how absolutely devastated I am."
Burham said an "entire army of people" has been helping them dig through the rubble of their house to find belongings — including drawings Arlan made in kindergarten that were recovered. On one page, he said he wanted to learn how to cook with his mom. Burnham told CBS News they got to do that – a lot.
Other friends are giving them food and helping them do laundry and one created a GoFundMe page on behalf of the family. More than $184,000 has been raised — far surpassing the fundraising goal of $5,000.
Burham told CBS News via Facebook message she wants donors to start focusing on others. "We no longer need clothes and want those donations to go to other families in need," she said. "There are so many displaced families in similar situations, my heart is broken but there is enough love and support to go around."
"When my son was born I knew he would touch so many lives, I knew he was special. This may not be how I dreamed, but he definitely touched more people than I ever even knew," Burnham said. Two other children lived in the home and survived.
She said her mind has been blown by the generosity from people around the world. "My baby is leaving an entire legacy behind."
The Clarksville Police Department identified Arlan as one of the victims, as well as 59-year-old Donna Allen, of Florida, and 34-year-old Stephen Kwaah Hayes, of Clarksville, CBS affiliate WTVF reports.
The three other victims were killed as the storm hit a mobile home community in Madison, Nashville Police said. They were identified as 37-year-old Joseph Dalton, 31-year-old Floridema Gabriel Perez and her son, 2-year-old Anthony Elmer Mendez.
At least 60 other people were taken to area hospitals and nearly 40,000 electricity customers were still without power as of Sunday morning, according to the tracking site poweroutage.us.
The storms caused a building at a Nashville church to collapse, sending 13 people to local hospitals, according to the Nashville Office of Emergency Management. On Sunday, Emergency officials were now in the "search and rescue phase of this disaster," Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said.
- In:
- Tornado
Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.
veryGood! (9449)
Related
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
- Woman buys scratch-off ticket for first time, wins top prize from Kentucky lottery
- U.K. police investigating death of former NHL player Adam Johnson, whose neck was cut by skate blade
- Why Denise Richards Doesn't Want Daughter Sami Sheen to Get a Boob Job
- NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
- North West, Penelope Disick and Their Friends Bring Girl Power to Halloween as the Cheetah Girls
- NFL power rankings Week 9: Eagles ascend to top spot after Chiefs' slide
- 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown': How to watch on Halloween night
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- Senior Chinese official visits Myanmar for border security talks as fighting rages in frontier area
Ranking
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- House Ethics says update on Santos investigation coming as possible expulsion vote looms
- Jury finds Hawaii couple guilty for stealing identities of dead babies
- NFL trade deadline updates: Chase Young to 49ers among flurry of late moves
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- Thousands of Bangladesh’s garment factory workers protest demanding better wages
- Donald Trump’s sons Don Jr. and Eric set to testify at fraud trial that threatens family’s empire
- Are real estate agent fees a racket?
Recommendation
'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
Helicopters drop water on Oahu wildfire for 2nd day, while some native koa and ohia trees burn
Cameron tries to energize growing GOP base in challenging Democratic incumbent in Kentucky
Australian prime minister to raise imprisoned democracy blogger during China visit
Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
'Live cluster bomblet', ammunition found in Goodwill donation, Wisconsin police say
NFL trade deadline updates: Chase Young to 49ers among flurry of late moves
Researchers hope tracking senior Myanmar army officers can ascertain blame for human rights abuses