On March 5, Kuri Bolger, a Missouri mom, lost most of her family. Kuri and her husband, along with their three children, were visiting her mother and stepfather in Iowa when a deadly tornado struck.
Kuri's husband, Michael, and her two youngest children died in the storm. Kuri's mother, Melissa, whom she called a "free-spirit," was also killed.
Now the grieving mother is speaking out for the first time about what life looks like in the aftermath of her heart-wrenching losses.
Kuri is grieving her husband, mother, and her two youngest children — Kinlee, 5, and Owen, 2. She and her 8-year-old son are trying their best to move forward.
"I have Brysen," Kuri told Good Morning America in an emotional interview. "Thank God he made it through and everybody was able to save him because, at this point, he's my rock."
"It’s a roller coaster of emotion," she said. "I think there’s going to be really hard days and days that it’s a little bit easier, but just remembering that you just have to keep going." She also spoke sweetly about her late husband, saying, "He did everything for everybody else because quality time with people was like what he had to give. That was what was really special about him."
Kuri and her surviving son were both transported to the hospital following the tornado. She had a broken pelvis and a broken leg and stayed in the hospital for nearly 10 days. Miraculously, Brysen only had a sprain in his foot.
The mom and son reunited while in the hospital. "I was so excited to have him, but also so sad that it was just us," she said. "The rest of our family was gone."
Kuri spoke about the amazing memories her family shared, saying that they always prioritized being together. "Yeah, we have laundry and we'll get it done at some point, but on a nice day, we took the time to go on a family bike ride or go on a hike in the woods and just explore, and I am so thankful for that," she said. "I have all those memories."
"I also have a lot of pictures and videos, which I'm thankful for," she continued. "My mom would always have her phone out and I'm like, 'Mom, put your phone down. We're, just hanging out.' But now I have all those memories, things we can look back at, and I am so thankful for that."
Back at home in Missouri, Kuri's community has rallied around her in a big way. Local fundraisers have taken place, and a GoFundMe has raised more than $500,000 for the mother and her son. Kuri says she's been touched by all of the kindness that has helped to lift her up.
"Nothing is too little to be helpful," she said. "It's showing somebody that you care, and it's really important."
