Many of you saw my facebook post a few days ago when I found out that one of my classmates from Samford lost her life in the tornado a few days ago. Carrie and another classmate, Jennifer Long, were my two closest friends in nursing school - without a doubt. Those girls meant more to me than either one of them probably ever knew. Through the years and distance between states, we had lost touch since I left Samford in 2005 to come back to Atlanta.
I came across an article in the AJC (Atlanta Journal Constitution) on those that lost their lives in the twister. Although it is painfully descriptive, I believe that we should never forget how terrible that day must have been for her. Here is the portion of the article with her story ...
"Back in Pleasant Grove, Jonathan Ford watched from atop the cab of his pickup as his neighbors slowly climbed from the rubble in the silent landscape.
Then, from where Curt and Crystal Grier's house had once stood, two doors down, a voice pleaded: "Please help! Please help! We've got babies stuck!"
The Grier's and brother-in-law Josh Lowe had escaped from the crawl space under their collapsed porch. But the couple's two children, Curt's sister, Carrie Lowe, and her newborn baby, Tucker, remained trapped. All that was left of the house was the brick front steps. Slowly, the men extracted the screaming children from the rubble. But when Jonathan Ford went to help dig, and he reached for Carrie Lowe, hunched over her son's car seat, her body was cold to the touch. The baby was alive, in the seat.
Later, after the rescue crews had come to take away her body, friends marked the spot with a red rag tied to a splintered piece of wood and placed a Bible found in the wreckage on the steps."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42841063/ns/weather
I knew that she had lost her life and that a room collapsed on her, but to read the details about her clutching to her baby in her last moments brings me to tears each time I read it. Selfishly, I think about myself as a soon to be mother and only a month younger than Carrie. I cannot IMAGINE how scared Carrie must have been that day for herself, and her family.
My heart goes out to you, Josh (Carrie's husband), and almost 8 week old, Tucker. Carrie was an AMAZING woman and I am deeply sorry for your loss! May the Lord be with you and surround you and your family during this time. We love you :)
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To look her up on facebook - her name is "Carrie Grier Lowe" from Birmingham, Alabama. Her profile picture is a beautiful black and white photo of her new family.
4 years ago
2 comments:
I remember Carrie from from Hillview Elementary School, Minor and Bottenfield Jr High. I am so sorry to read about her death. She and her mother always treated me with kindness.
this is crystal grier, carrie's sister in law. carrie was actually holding my 10 month old Jacob and protected him from the debris. he crawled out from the rubble. my 5 year old daughter was actually pinned across tucker's carseat between him and a concrete slab. she is truly our guardian angel and will be missed so much. carrie and my daughter rachel were best friends.
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