Tragedy Strikes as Florida Mother Loses Twin Toddlers
A heart-wrenching incident has left a Florida mother in deep anguish after her 4-year-old twins, Aurora and Kellan Starr, tragically suffocated inside a wooden toy chest. Sadie Myers, the mother of four from Jacksonville, is struggling to come to terms with the inexplicable loss.
In a poignant Facebook post, Myers shared her grief, expressing her belief that something in the universe had a hand in this devastating event. She mused that perhaps the purity of her twins’ souls made them a special choice for such a cruel fate.
The dreadful incident unfolded on the night of August 25 when Myers was at work. Her husband, Don Starr, put their children to bed, including the twins. When Myers returned home later that night, she performed her routine check on her sleeping little ones, had dinner, and retired to bed.
Early that morning, the twins awoke and decided to play in their room instead of going back to sleep, a common occurrence. Normally, they would fall asleep amidst scattered toys, but this time, they chose an old cedar toy chest as their resting place.
“They pulled out all but a couple of stuffed animals,” Myers explained, “I guess they left some to keep it comfy in there, then they laid inside.”
What followed was a heartbreaking chain of events. During their slumber, one of the twins must have moved or kicked during a dream, inadvertently causing the lid of the wooden chest to close.
The next morning, Don went to check on the twins, but they were nowhere to be found. After a frantic search, one of the older boys discovered them inside the chest, peacefully nestled together.
Myers rushed to their side, but it was too late. Tragically, the twins had run out of oxygen within a couple of hours, unaware of the impending danger.
It’s a heartbreaking lesson that most parents, like Myers, aren’t aware of: wooden chests can become airtight and soundproof once closed.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to the home around noon, and the investigation into the deaths is ongoing.
The grief-stricken family is struggling to cope, trying to shield their other children from their overwhelming pain. A GoFundMe campaign for the family has garnered substantial support, with over $24,965 raised as of Wednesday afternoon.
In the midst of this tragedy, a devastated mother’s plea serves as a poignant reminder to all parents of the unforeseen dangers that can lurk in seemingly innocent places.