"She was born with biliary atresia. Hooker said that Annistyn Rackley's family hadn't yet unpacked from their move Dec. 4 from Caruthersville to their new home along Highway J, just west of the city. Gov. After a series of violent storms devastated many midwestern and southern communities last week, one young injured girl is inspiring the masses with her bravery. Hooker said it was Annistyn's favorite, and she called it Baby MawMaw. She was the strongest kid.". Le Bonheur Children's Hospital doctors are now treating Annistyn's younger sister, 7-year-old Ava, with surgery scheduled Wednesday to treat broken vertebrae in her back. Trey was released morning after the storm. Hooker's account of what happened to the Rackleys came from talking to law enforcement and first responders who were at the scene after the tornado and found family members in the field. While some winds are expected to remain Tuesday, the day will shape up to be much more comfortable and peaceful, with partly sunny skies and high temperatures in the low 50s. (Summer Alexander/Meghan Rackley/Courtesy of Sandra Hooker via AP), BIDEN TO TRAVEL TO KENTUCKY TO SURVEY DAMAGE FROM EXTREME WEATHER. All rights reserved, WATCH: Procession Escorts Body of Fallen Chicago Officer From Hospital, Storm System Could Bring Rain, Snow, and Gusty Winds to Chicago Area Friday, Chicago Police Officer Shot and Killed on Southwest Side, Chicago Police Release Details of What Led to Officer's Fatal Shooting in Gage Park. The middle child, Avalinn, or Ava, had broken vertebrae in her back and was expected to undergo surgery Wednesday, Ms Hooker said. Tight rotation in this area may produce a brief tornado at any moment. Hookers account of what happened to the Rackleys came from talking to law enforcement and first responders who were at the scene after the tornado and found family members in the field. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Early Monday, the NWS reported the severe weather threat most likely to be at its greatest Monday between 7 a.m. and noon, along and south of Interstate 80, potentially extending into Chicago. Ava Rackley, 7, had huddled in the bathtub with her two sisters, 3-year-old Lonnie, and 9-year-old Annistyn. (Meghan Rackley/Courtesy of Sandra Hooker via AP). "We are believing for a miracle, so we are going to say that we are optimistic that she will pull through. Several hours later, the Tornado watches and warnings were issued. The Caruthersville community held a service Sunday to honor Annistyn Rackley and keep her family in their thoughts. And she texted back and she said, 'I'm in the bathroom.' Tornadoes also roared through both the Missouri and Illinois sides of the St. Louis area, as well as the Memphis, Tennessee, area and parts of Arkansas and Illinois. Another Tornado Warning has been issued for northern Jasper and southeast Porter counties in Indiana. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Ms Hooker called Annistyn a special angel, recalling the girl as outgoing and energetic despite a rare liver condition that required regular doctors visits. Mike Parson's office said that about 30,000 Missouri residents initially were without power. And we all agreed that they had an interior bathroom with no windows [in the new home]. "But I do believe a miracles. Hooker is the sister of Meghan Rackleys grandmother, and she said she and Annistyn, or Anni, grew close over the past four years. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. And she didn't act like she was disabled or handicapped in any way. He wanted to turn over Annistyn's favorite blanket, thick as it was with mud stains after being found in the field. In this undated photo provided by Sandra Hooker, the Rackley family poses for a picture while on a trip to Sedona, Arizona. ", "Anni was a miracle," she says. Tornado victims include granddad who 'stole the show', Tornado-slammed parts of Kentucky face long recovery, Storm victims include Missouri girl, aunt's 'special angel', Kentucky tornado - latest: Death toll hits 88 amid claims workers were threatened with firing as storm neared. "I was flying around in that tornado," said Avalinn Rackley, 7, whose 9-year-old sister Annistyn was killed near Caruthersville. "I prayed to Jesus to take care of me." #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/jjEInxieGQ. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The bubbly young girl then grew up to become a dancer, a gymnast and compete in team cheerleading. December 13, 2021, 9:16 PM. ", "I believe she was an angel walking among us, because she was so kind and sweet and loving and caring, not just to me, but to everyone," she says. Now the community of 6,000 is rallying for the Rackleys again this time with prayer, as a tornado spawned by a wave of storms that left destruction and death across six states Friday night killed the 9-year-old and left her mother, Meghan, a kindergarten teacher, unresponsive in the hospital with multiple broken bones and a traumatic brain injury. ", [6:00 AM 2/27] The severe weather threat appears to be diminishing, although gusty winds in stronger showers will be possible this morning. Girl sheltering with family killed in tornado. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. A young girl, pictured in a photo taken during Saturday's severe weather in Missouri, died during the storm, a family member confirmed. "She was the best kid. Additionally, there were reports that a "brief tornado" touched down in DuPage County, and reports of wind damage from a "possible tornado in Kendall County. A candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, and an Amazon facility in Edwardsville, Illinois, were hit. Her father, Trey Rackley, a 37-year-old trucking company dispatcher, suffered cuts and bruises and remains sore and sometimes in shock, Ms Hooker said. "In spite of everything, she was just always so brave, just you would never know, she was always smiling. "When she got to the hospital and the doctors and the nurses asked her, do you know what happened to you? 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Hooker also said she talked to the girl's father. See Heartbreaking Photos of the Tornado Devastation in Kentucky, Illinois and More States, Remembering Victims of Deadly Tornado Outbreak: Navy Veteran, 'Loving' Grandma of 4 and More, Texas School Shooting: What We Know About the Victims, Jason Crabb Invites Kentucky Tornado Victim and Viral Piano Player Jordan Baize to Play the Opry, Mo. "The loss, it is exponential," Mandi Alexander, a friend of Meghan's, said at an emotional gathering of some 200 people Sunday at a riverside park to memorialize the young girl, TV station KAIT reported. Hooker said Meghan Rackley's injuries included broken bones, a brain injury and a large cut, and she's asking people to pray for the 32-year-old mother. But he and the youngest daughter, 3-year-old Alanna Little Lani are no longer hospitalized. Meghan Rackley was hospitalized for several weeks after the Dec. 10 tornado hit her home. Hooker prays they'll provide further comfort when they are placed in Annistyn's casket and buried alongside her. But whatever happens we know that God's will will be done," Hooker added. If you are interested in helping, CLICK HERE. Ms Hooker said that Annistyns family hadnt yet unpacked from their 4 December move from Caruthersville to their new home along Highway J, just west of the city. In this photo provided by Sandra Hooker, from left, Avalinn Rackley, 7, Alanna Rackley, 3, and Annistyn Rackley, 9, pose for a picture in a bathroom in their home near Caruthersville, Missouri. Meghan is currently in rehab in Cape Girardeau. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The middle child, Avalinn, or Ava, had broken vertebrae in her back and was expected to undergo surgery Wednesday, Hooker said. Her great aunt said that the diagnosis never held her back, and she was encouraged by her sisters and her parents to live life to the fullest. Hooker said that Annistyn Rackleys family hadnt yet unpacked from their move Dec. 4 from Caruthersville to their new home along Highway J, just west of the city. Rain and embedded storms will continue, mainly this morning before activity diminishes in the afternoon. Annistyn Rackley was at home with her mom Meghan, her dad Trey, and her two younger sisters when the tornado hit their home just east of Braggadocio. Hooker said Annistyns parents learned when she was 2 months old that she had a rare liver disorder in which bile ducts dont develop properly, sometimes making it hard to fight off illness. The National Weather Service later confirmed two "brief tornadoes" touched down in two Chicago suburbs during the storms. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. A tornado hit her home and splintered it less than a week after the family had moved in, and, according to the relative who received the photo of the girl in the bathtub, it carried family members dozens of yards before dropping them in a muddy field. In this Dec. 10, 2021, photo provided by Sandra Hooker, from left, Avalinn Rackley, 7, Alanna Rackley, 3, and Annistyn Rackley, 9, pose for a picture in a bathroom in their home near Caruthersville, Missouri. Family of Missouri Tornado Victim Annistyn Rackley Pays Tribute Human Interest Younger Sibling of 9-Year-Old Missouri Tornado Victim: Now 'I'll Have to Be the However, the entire Chicago area has seen heavy, on-and-off downpours throughout the morning. Hooker called Annistyn Rackley a special angel, recalling the girl as outgoing and energetic despite a rare liver condition that required regular doctors visits. Mike Parsons office said that about 30,000 Missouri residents initially were without power. "Some rain could be heavy at times, and a few storms could be on the strong/severe side during the morning hours," NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman says. "And Meghan was over the tub on the two older girls. In Pemiscot County in southeastern Missouri, bordering Arkansas and Kentucky, where the Rackleys live, the sheriffs office did not immediately return telephone messages Monday seeking comment about the storm that destroyed the Rackleys home. An extended Missouri family is grieving, after a tornado ripped through their home this weekend, claiming a young life and changed the lives of the survivors forever. COMPLEJO DE 4 DEPARTAMENTOS CON POSIBILIDAD DE RENTA ANUAL, HERMOSA PROPIEDAD A LA VENTA EN PLAYAS DE ORO, CON EXCELENTE VISTA, CASA CON AMPLIO PARQUE Y PILETA A 4 CUADRAS DE RUTA 38, COMPLEJO TURISTICO EN Va. CARLOS PAZ. The entire Rackley family took refuge in their bathroom before a tornado-one of more than 30 storms that ravaged through five states-lifted the home and deposited it into a field. or redistributed. We celebrate our miracle, Meghan doing so well, when originally we didnt even know if she would ever wake up, Meghans mother, Pamela Proctor Moore, told KAIT8s Chris Carter. But their nine-year-old daughter, Annistyn, did not survive. "I just ask everyone to pray that Meghan will wake up and come back to us," said Hooker. Hooker said that the girls mother is "fighting for her life" and unresponsive in the hospital after sustaining severe brain trauma, broken bones, and deep lacerations. Hooker teaches gifted students at the same elementary school where Meghan Rackley teaches kindergarten in Caruthersville, which is nestled next to the Mississippi River in whats known as Missouris Bootheel region. When Annistyn Rackley was born with a rare liver disease that required major surgery at just 2 months old, small-town Caruthersville, Missouri hard against the Mississippi River in the rural southeast corner of the state poured out its heart to raise funds for the family's medical expenses. Tornadoes also roared through both the Missouri and Illinois sides of the St. Louis area, as well as the Memphis, Tennessee, area and parts of Arkansas and Illinois. As the tornado threw him outside, Rackley said he held on to his youngest daughter - 3-year-old Lani - and braced for impact. This video is Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Hooker reflected on the 9-year-old's perseverance in her young life, following a diagnosis of a rare live disease. She loved life and loved people," Hooker added. I would just gasp because she could do the splits all the time, and she would just laugh, Hooker said. ", "There's very little left," she explains. Meghan and Trey had discussed it. Her nine-year-old daughter, Annistyn, was killed by the tornado. All rights reserved. Seven-year-old Avalinn told doctors she flew around in the tornado, Ms Hooker said. Ms Hooker said Meghan Rackleys injuries included broken bones, a brain injury and a large cut, and shes asking people to pray for the 32-year-old mother. "They brought Baby MawMaw to me, and Im cleaning her up so that Ava can have Baby MawMaw," she said. "And she did," Hooker tells PEOPLE, "right up till the tornado killed her. Here's why. Those included one in far western Joliet and one on the far north side of Naperville. She did cartwheels and splits in front of Ms Hooker. Tornadoes also roared through both the Missouri and Illinois sides of the St. Louis area, as well as the Memphis, Tennessee, area and parts of Arkansas and Illinois. So God gave us a miracle with Anni. or redistributed. Legal Statement. "There was a lot of loud, loud noises and banging," Rackley recalled on what he felt and heard Friday night, minutes before the tornado made a direct hit on their home. Trey and Meghan Rackley Hooker said it was Annistyns favorite, and she called it Baby MawMaw. "Then she said, 'Then I'll have to be the big sister to Lani.'". She said she talked to the girls mother, Meghan Rackley, on Friday afternoon about the possibility of bad storms. 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