GREEN BAY (NBC26) — A mother and father are heartbroken after their 9-year-old daughter died from injuries she suffered when a tree fell on her in the street during a thunderstorm warning Monday afternoon. They are asking for the community's help to pay for funeral expenses.
Hear what 9-year-old Rose Hendricks' parents loved about her in the video below:
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
I was here Monday afternoon as crews cleaned up the aftermath of a tree falling into the street on top of a little girl. I'm your Green Bay neighborhood reporter, Pari Apostolakos, and now the mother of 9-year-old Rose Hendricks tells us her child died from traumatic injuries.
Rose's mother, Jayme Denamur, says her daughter, who loved softball and dancing, was braver than most kids.
"My daughter's actually a miracle baby," Jayme said. "She wasn't supposed to make it during birth. She was born with collapsed lungs, and doctors told me she wasn't going to make it. But she proved them wrong, and she only lived to be 9."
Jayme says Rose and her brother were just outside their home after turning back from a trip to the grocery store because of Monday's thunderstorm. That's when Jayme says the wind picked up and part of a neighbor's tree fell on Rose, narrowly missing her brother.
"It's just so hard on us, and her brother doesn't know how to take it quite yet," Jayme said through tears, just steps away from the spot where Rose was pinned under the tree. "But he's upset. This morning he just begged and asked for his sister to come back."
Neighbors I spoke with Monday told me they tried lifting the tree off Rose, but it was too heavy, and they used a floor jack to help first responders free her. Green Bay Metro Fire Department Chief Mike Vanden Avond says Rose was conscious and breathing with traumatic injuries when first responders arrived on the scene after 3:30 Monday afternoon.
"She was very strong," Jayme said. "She fought until she couldn't no more."
Jayme says Rose died from her injuries at St. Vincent Hospital around 10:15 Monday night. She and Rose's father, Richard Krystof, tell me they asked crews to keep a piece of the tree after it was completely cut down Tuesday. They are devastated by the death of their little girl and now have only memories to comfort them.
"She made the day better if it was a bad day," Richard said.
"She loved cracking jokes," Jayme said.
"[She had] comebacks for everything you throw at her," Richard said.
A thunderstorm warning was in effect when the tree fell on Rose with reports of winds up to 58 miles an hour. Rose's family now wishes to put together a vigil in her honor. A crowdfunding page has been set up to help Rose's family with funeral expenses.
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