An Alabama woman is now raising and caring for 12 children after her sister, a mother of five, died from complications of COVID-19.
What We Know:
- Francesca McCall, a mother of nine herself, took in her nieces and nephews Zariah, 17, De Alvion, 15, Angel, 13, Trinity, 6, Serenity, 5, following the passing away of 34-year-old home healthcare employee Chantale McCall passed away at UAB Hospital located in Birmingham, Alabama on Sept. 16.
“She was the glue that kept everybody together,” McCall, 40, she mentioned to, “Good Morning America” of her sister. “She was strong in raising her kids. I loved that about her. We always used to talk about how if anything were to happen to her that we want all the children to stay together. Being that I’m the older sister, I was going to make sure not to separate them.”
- McCall’s nine children are; La-Keria, 15, Ashanti, 14, Saaphyri, 13, Aniyah, 11, Trenton, 7, Heavenly, 4, Chayha, 1, and two more sons, one who is going to college and another who resides with his father, she said.
- McCall mentioned her sister was hospitalized on Sept. 1 after testing positive for COVID-19 and had underlying conditions such as bronchitis and asthma. Chantale McCall’s husband sadly, also passed away from difficulties of the virus on Oct. 25, which would’ve been Chantale’s 35th birthday, McCall said.
- Once her sister passed away, McCall had her nieces and nephew live with her and their cousins.
- McCall, who currently works in insurance, stated her job permits her to work remotely to balance her profession and homeschooling the kids. Sandra McCall, McCalls’ mother, has helped to care for the children, and Carla McDonald, McCall’s friends from church, offered to fund them for Christmas.
- McDonald also helped McCall start a crowdfunding page, “Sister Vows to Care for Deceased Sister’s Children,” to raise money to buy a bigger vehicle and home.
McCall stated the children enjoy creating TikTok videos together and are looking forward to decorating for Christmas.
