'Miracle Baby': 1-year-old Missouri girl survives tragic Thanksgiving night crash that killed her parents
SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI: A one-year-old Missouri girl is recovering from minor injuries she sustained in a tragic Thanksgiving night car crash that claimed the lives of her parents. Patrick and Shandrea Holloway, both 44, were killed in a head-on crash on November 23 when another vehicle swerved into their lane on Interstate 44 two miles west of Springfield. The two occupants of the other car, Joshua Wamsley and Danielle Dillman, also died in the horrific crash.
Miraculously, Shandrea and Patrick's 14-month-old daughter, Hannalee, survived the wreckage in the backseat and was rushed to the local hospital in Springfield with just minor bruising from her seat belt. The tragic death of the loving couple has left their family members devastated. "To be honest, it really hasn't hit me yet," Shandrea's half-brother Craig Hendrick told Springfield News-Leader. "We're still in shock right now. We're just confused, as everyone is when there's a tragedy like this."
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Hendrick and his wife, Michelle, retrieved the little girl from the hospital and said the sight of his parentless niece was "heartbreaking." "She was laying around, playing on the floor of her room," the 38-year-old recalls. "It broke my heart. She was going on like life is normal, and it's not normal." The couple has now taken custody of Hannalee, whom they describe as a “Miracle Baby.” "The first words out of my wife Michelle's mouth was 'We are taking Hannalee in,'" Craig told People. "It wasn't even a hesitation."
Hendrick, who manages the family's diesel engine manufacturing business in Springfield, said Hannalee is “adjusting well” with his 1-year-old son Connor, who is just three-and-a-half months older than her. "I've pretty much got twins now, and they are getting along great," he said. "She's doing fantastic." Hendrick added, "It's good and bad that it (the accident) happened at that age. You can't see an effect on her right now, we're not seeing any issues from her as far as missing her parents, which is sad. But we are going to do everything we can to make sure she knows her parents."
Shandrea and Patrick first met through a mutual friend in 2013 and exchanged vows in 2014. The couple went through several failed in vitro fertilization operations before welcoming the little girl. "After Shandrea suffered a miscarriage, the doctor said 'You're done. It will be dangerous for you to try,'" recalls 49-year-old Mike Holloway, Patrick's brother. "After they stopped [the IVF], she got pregnant with Hannalee."
In addition to Hannalee, the Holloways also leave behind Gavin, Patrick's 10-year-old son from a prior relationship. Bryan, of Springfield, remembered Shandrea as a devoted mother who worked from home as a support analyst for an IT company. "Shandrea was very caring, always had a smile on her face," he said. "And she would be willing to help anybody out that needed it."
A GoFundMe page has been set up by family and friends to help Craig and Michelle pay for legal fees involving guardianship of Hannalee, and other new expenses, including daycare. Hanalee recently started daycare and is now overcoming RSV, which left her with a fever and nasty cough. Another fundraising page is organized for Gavin.