Kayla Nutt organized a GoFundMe to help raise money for Kuri’s hospital bills, ongoing expenses, and for proper celebrations of life for the family.
A mother and her 8-year-old son are the sole survivors of a deadly tornado that tore through a central Iowa town, killing her husband, her mother, and her two other children, ages 2 and 5.
The victims: Melissa Bazley, 63, Michael Bolger, 37, Kinlee Bolger, and Owen Bolger, 2, died when the tornado hit the community of Winterset, ripping homes off of their foundations, damaging power lines, destroying cars, and tearing through miles of land, the Associated Press reported.
The grandfather and uncle survived the storm, but were injured, according to family members, the news outlet reported.
“Kuri is currently still in the hospital with severe injuries but stable and Brysen has been discharged from the hospital with minor injuries,” said longtime friend Kayla Nutt.
“There will be a long road ahead for both of them and their entire family as Kuri lost her mother in the disaster as well.”
On Saturday, the family had been visiting Kuri Bolger’s parents in Winterset, Iowa, from their home in Blue Springs, Missouri, when the devastating storm hit.
They tried to seek shelter in the pantry as the powerful tornado ripped through the home, authorities said, the Associated Press reported.
The grandparent's home did not have a basement, the news outlet reported.
Additional victims of Saturday’s twister include Rodney Clark, 64, and, Cecilia Lloyd, 72. Jesse Theron Fisher, 40, died in a separate tornado that hit Lucas County, according to the AP.
Officials said it was the deadliest tornado to hit the state in nearly 14 years, CBS News previously reported.
According to the National Weather Service in Des Moines, it was an EF3 -tornado, on the Enhanced Fujita scale, classified as “severe,” with wind speeds between 135 and 165 mph, a report said.
Nearly 30 homes were destroyed, officials said. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, who toured the area, called the destruction “unimaginable."
Nutt organized a GoFundMe to help raise money for Kuri’s hospital bills, ongoing expenses, and for proper celebrations of life for the family.
“Please help however you can during this tragic and challenging time,” Nutt said.
