WESTMINSTER, Colo. -- Family members are still grieving the sudden, shocking loss of three loved ones, who were killed in a fog-related, four-vehicle crash last Friday.
Sheila Sinclair, 29, was taking her 6-year-old son, Jaxon, to school, because he'd missed the bus.
In the car with them that morning was the young mother's two other children, 3-year-old Kassidy and 1-year-old Arrabella.
In the fog, there was a collision with a pickup truck and two other vehicles.
Sheila and Jaxon died on the day of the crash. Kassidy clung to life until Sunday. Arabella miraculously survived the collision.
“Our family is shattered. The grief is overwhelming,” one family member wrote online.
They’re holding off talking about the crash until investigators finish their jobs, but they told Denver7 they want people to know that Sheila “absolutely loved her family and her children, and there’s no way she would have put anyone in harm’s way.”
Heart donated
Monday, Kassidy's aunts told Denver7 that her father made the decision to donate the 3-year old's heart, liver and kidneys, "so that others could live."
"She suffered a traumatic brain injury," said Stacie Bartolotta. "They couldn't save her, but they could save her organs."
She said Doctors removed Kassidy’s heart Monday morning.
"They did the transplant at Children's Hospital," she said. "It went to a local child."
Bartolotta said in life, Kassidy was fearless, adventurous and spunky.
“She loved swimming. She was always willing to jump in and do things that even her older brother, was like, 'oooh,'" she said.
Now, family members can't help but wonder if the young recipient of Kassidy's heart will inherit her adventuresome nature.
Remembering loved ones
Katie Miller told Denver7 that Sheila, her younger sister, was a caring, kind person, who made friends easily.
“She was the person who always kept in touch,” Bartolotta said. “She was the one who would always text and say, ‘how are you doing?
Everyone loved her."
“She was a huge support for new mothers,” Miller said. “If people felt doubtful or not sure, she was that person who was like, ‘It’s OK, you can do this.’”
Both aunts remember Jaxon as a problem-solver.
“He was just an amazing kid,” Bartolotta said. “He loved to take things apart and tried to figure out how to put them back together.”
Family members say their memories of Jaxon are helping them stay positive.
“He spent every weekend here, with his grandparents,” Bartolotta said. “kite flying, bike riding, going to the pool. He sang for the church with his Grandmother and his aunt.”
“He was a wonderful kid and even when he didn’t want to do something, he wouldn’t say, ‘no.’ He would say, ‘no thank you.’”
Toddler survives
Arabella somehow survived the crash with just some bruising and a broken leg.
“She got a little banged up, but she’ll recover physically,” Miller said.
When asked how Arabella is holding up and whether she talks about what happened, Miller replied, “She doesn’t really talk right now. She’s more of a mover, a shaker than a talker, but she’s getting a lot of attention.”
“She’s the reason we’ve all been able to endure and be strong for her,” Bartolotta said. “She’s happy. She’s smiling, and she’s playing. It’s just incredible, and we’re just so grateful.”
GoFundMe account
Faced with funeral expenses for three people, medical bills and a desire to help Arabella, family members have set up a GoFundMe account.
“People have reached out from all over the country,” Bartolotta said. “Friends, family and church. The community has just been incredible, and we want to thank them. We want to thank the good Samaritans, the first responders and the hospital staff at Platte Valley and Children’s Hospitals. They’ve been incredibly supportive of our family.”
