There is truly nothing as heart-wrenching as a young death. This family experienced an incredible heartache when a small mistake cost them a big toll. Read on for more information on this heartbreaking tragedy.
Two toddlers, a boy and a girl aged 18 months, drowned in the family’s pool after their great-grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s, apparently left the door open.
The family resides in their $565,000 home in Oklahoma City where mother Jenny Callazzo found her 18-month-old twins, Locklyn and Loreli, at the bottom of a murky pool on their property.
The twins were unconscious when their mother found them. Two hours later, both toddlers were pronounced dead.
A tragic accident
Callazzo is a stay-at-home mom who runs a boutique.
She lives in the $565,000 house with other family members where her children drowned. Her family includes her grandmother, her six children, and her husband Sonny, a 42-year-old marketing executive.
A family member revealed that Callazzo’s grandmother suffers from dementia and left the back door of the house open. The twins saw the open door and slipped outside unnoticed.
Police are investigating the case, but do not suspect any foul play in this tragic young death.
Local media captured aerial footage of the house showing a murky pool covered in green algae where the twins presumably drowned. Days before the tragic accident, the 37-year-old Callazzo posted a photo of her toddlers outside with the caption “just want to play outside.”
Neighbors recall the heart-wrenching moment when they saw the distraught mother sitting in the back of an ambulance while rescuers tried to resuscitate her children.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to assist the family with costs related to medical bills and other expenses associated with this fatal accident.
“These beautiful babies were taken from us too soon. Any assistance you can give to help with the costs would be greatly appreciated. We appreciate everyone’s love and support,” the description of the GoFundMe page states.
Laura Gamino, injury prevention coordinator for trauma at OU Health, emphasized the importance of parents understanding the dangers of water for young children.
“In the blink of an eye, anything can happen,” she warned.
In the blink of an eye
“Children are attracted to water and toddlers do not have the skills to help themselves out of the water … Drowning happens very quickly and it’s very silent,” she cautioned.
“Sometimes people think that a child in distress in the water will scream, but they can’t because their mouth is full of water. So it’s very quiet, and that’s one of the scariest things about it.”
Gamino advises parents and caregivers to install at least 4-foot high fences with a gate around their pool to prevent young children from accessing the pool.
This is such a heart-wrenching story. Our hearts go out to the family as they cope with this insurmountable loss. Please join us in praying for the family during this difficult time.
