San Angelo Family Faces Double Tragedy In Matter of Weeks

SAN ANGELO, TX –– After experiencing devasting destruction to their home in July, a San Angelo family is now facing another major loss.

On July 11th, Jennifer and John Byrd saw their home destroyed by a Dodge Charger that crashed into the middle of their house and ran through to the rear wall on Lake View Heros Drive in north San Angelo. The Byrds were then forced to leave their home of 11 years and relocate to a local hotel as they attempted to repair their home.

Less than five weeks after the accident, Mr. Byrd contracted Covid-19 and unfortunately lost the fight against the virus in just a few days –– leaving behind a devastated family and a mountain of expenses.

According to their daughter, Kaitie Frausto, her stepfather spent 24 hours at the Shannon Medical Center Emergency Room before being transferred to the COVID floor.

After spending 24 hours on the COVID floor of the hospital, the 66-year-old was moved to the ICU and sedated and placed on a ventilator. During the subsequent twelve hours, Byrd passed away.

Part of the family was unable to be with Mr. Byrd during his final hours because they too tested positive for Covid-19 and had to quarantine, while other family members were unable to enter the hospital due to Covid-19 protocols.

"He just left a really big hole," said Katie. "It was just so fast, and so sudden. And he didn't have any family by his side and it's been hard."

Jennifer and John were married for 26 years. Mr. Byrd was a Air Force veteran.

In a matter of weeks, the lives of the Byrd family changed radically. Mrs. Byrd continues living in a local hotel while paying the mortgage of a home she cannot stay in due to the extensive damage. The repairs to the home may take at least nine months, according to the GoFundMe account.

While Mrs. Byrd has been able to pay a reduced rate at the hotel, the financial burden has been made worse by the fact she has not worked for two weeks as she recovers from the virus. She works as a full-time home health nurse specializing in wound care.

The Byrd family is reaching out to the community to ask for their help as they face great loss. Any contribution –– whether big or small can make the difference for Mrs. Byrd. The funds will help pay for her husband's funeral costs, for her food and lodgings, and for any expenses required to move out if the house until it is fixed.

Mrs. Byrd is also in need of packing supplies as she works to pack up her possessions from a home that has been boarded up for more than a month. The possessions she can keep will have to be stored in a storage facility for several months.

Anyone interested in making a donation can visit the GoFundMe account on the following link.