Heartbreaking Reality: A Mother’s Cry for Help After Losing Two Children to Freezing Cold

Tateona Williams is opening up about her devastating loss after two of her children tragically froze to death while seeking refuge in a van parked inside a Detroit garage.

The heartbreaking incident occurred on February 10, when Williams, her mother Yvette Goodman, and her five children were living inside a van on the ninth floor of the Hollywood Casino parking structure. The extreme cold proved fatal for 9-year-old Darnell Currie Jr. and 2-year-old Amillah Currie.

Williams recalled waking up to find Darnell unresponsive, showing clear signs of distress. She rushed him to the hospital, but doctors were unable to save him. Meanwhile, Amillah’s condition went unnoticed until Goodman took her to the hospital, where she was also pronounced dead.

Interim Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison confirmed that temperatures had dropped below freezing, and while the official cause of death is still under investigation, hypothermia is suspected. Authorities revealed that the family had been living in the van for two to three months, relying on the parking garage for safety and restroom access.

Williams explained that she had repeatedly sought help from homeless services across different cities and states, desperately trying to find shelter for her family. She even reached out to Detroit’s homeless response team as recently as November 25, 2024, but no immediate action was taken. “I kept calling,” Williams told PEOPLE. “But it took losing two of my children for them to finally step in.”

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan acknowledged that shelter beds had been available nearby but emphasized the need to improve awareness and access for families in crisis. He has since ordered a full review of the case to determine where the system failed Williams and her children.

Currently, Williams and her surviving family members are receiving assistance from Detroit Power Detroit Community Outreach, an independent shelter.