GREENWOOD, S.C. – In the early hours of Friday, Sept. 27, Hurricane Helene swept through South Carolina, causing significant damage across the state.
One family involved in the Family Care program at Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries in Greenwood experienced a life-threatening situation when a tree fell on their home during the storm.
McKenna, a single mother, and her children — 1-year-old twins, a 3-year-old and an 8-year-old — were asleep when the tree crashed through their home at approximately 5 a.m. Diana Johnson, director of Family Care, was alerted to the situation after checking security cameras. Johnson immediately rushed to the scene, where she was met with ambulances, fire trucks and emergency responders attending to the chaotic aftermath.
Johnson found McKenna with visible injuries, including a severe gash on her face and a broken nose. “I asked her if she was OK, and she said, ‘I don’t know, but will you take care of my babies?’” Johnson recalled. McKenna was transported to the hospital by ambulance, and Johnson took the children to safety.
A close call
As first responders worked to clear the debris, it became evident that the family had narrowly escaped a more tragic outcome. A massive tree had fallen directly into the family’s bedroom, where McKenna and her 3-year-old were sleeping. Her 8-year-old had been on a pallet on the floor. “I heard a noise, and when I woke up, I just felt it falling on me,” McKenna said. Despite the chaos, her children were miraculously unharmed. “Once I heard my toddler screaming, I knew she was OK,” McKenna said.
Diana Johnson expressed relief and gratitude for the family’s safety. “We’re very thankful and blessed because the outcome could have been so much worse,” Johnson said. “God is good.”
According to Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries President Danny Nicholson, the facilities currently house 72 children. “All of our children are safe and all of our staff is safe. That’s what we’re thankful for,” Nicholson said.
In the storm, two buildings were damaged structurally, but Nicholson said he believes they will be able to build the facilities back stronger and better than before. “We’re so very thankful for South Carolina Baptists and the Disaster Relief teams because they’ve been working not just with us, but they’ve showed up all over South Carolina,” Nicholson said.
Supporting families
Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries’ Family Care program is a two-year initiative that provides support to single mothers and their children as they rebuild their lives. “We offer a network of resources to help these families heal and recover from difficult situations,” Johnson said. “In this case, we are especially grateful for God’s protection over this family.”
Nicholson shared that in difficult times, he turns his attention to the cross. “In the midst of all this trouble, I thought that there is no resurrection without the cross,” he said. “What we walk through here will end up bringing glory to God.”
As McKenna and her children begin the process of rebuilding their lives after the hurricane, the Connie Maxwell community is rallying around them, offering both practical and emotional support in the wake of the disaster.
Donate to South Carolina Baptists’ Hurricane Helene relief efforts at scbaptist.org/give.
Anna Gardner is an SCBaptist Creative editor. This article originally appeared in the Baptist Courier.
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