A Night That Changed Everything
On a freezing Monday in Detroit, Tateona Williams faced every parent’s worst nightmare. Her children, 9-year-old Darnell Currie Jr. and 2-year-old Amillah Currie, died from the cold while the family slept in their van at the Hollywood Casino Hotel parking garage.
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Living Without Shelter
Williams, her five children, and her grandmother, Yvette Goodman, had been living in their van for nearly three months. That night, as temperatures fell below freezing, their van ran out of gas. Without heat to protect them from the bitter cold, two of the children lost their lives to hypothermia.
The three other children survived and received care at a local hospital before being placed with relatives. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan responded to the tragedy by calling for an immediate review of the city’s services for homeless people.
A National Crisis
This family’s loss puts a human face on a crisis that affects homeless people across America. Each year, about 700 people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless die from hypothermia in the United States. The danger is greatest during winter when finding warm shelter can mean the difference between life and death.
The Need for Change
The deaths of Darnell and Amillah have sparked important discussions about helping homeless families. City officials are now taking a closer look at emergency housing services. Their story shows why we need better ways to help families find safe, warm places to stay – especially during dangerous winter weather.
As more people face homelessness and extreme weather becomes more common, stories like the Williams family’s remind us why we must act now.
No family should have to choose between sleeping in a cold car or having nowhere to go. No parent should lose their children to the cold. Their tragedy calls us to do better in protecting our most vulnerable neighbors.
