Jacksonville, Florida – A heart-wrenching tragedy has left a Florida family devastated as a mother is grappling with the unimaginable loss of her 4-year-old twins, Aurora and Kellan Starr, who suffocated inside a wooden toy chest. The incident occurred on August 26, 2023, and has sent shockwaves through the community.
Sadie Myers, a mother of four, took to Facebook to share her pain and disbelief. “Not many will know the pain of losing two children at the same time and losing them in a way that makes no sense, but I have to believe that something in this universe chose them specifically,” she wrote in a heartfelt post. “Maybe because their souls were too perfect for this world.”
The tragic incident unfolded on the night of August 25 when Myers’ husband, Don Starr, put their two older boys and the twins to bed while she was at work, according to reports from Fox News. Upon returning home, she checked in on her sleeping children, before retiring for the night.
It was during the early hours of the morning that the twins, Aurora and Kellan, woke up and decided to play in their room, a common occurrence according to Myers. “They usually fall asleep in some weird place in their room with toys left everywhere,” she recounted.
However, this time, the twins climbed into a cedar toy chest, which housed their stuffed animals. Myers explained, “They pulled out all but a couple of stuffed animals, I guess they left some to keep it comfy in there, then they laid inside.” Tragically, during their slumber, one of them must have “moved or kicked during a dream,” causing the lid of the old wooden cedar chest to close.
The next morning, Don went to check on the twins while their older brothers played outside, but he couldn’t find them. After a frantic search, one of the older boys made the painful discovery of his younger siblings cuddled together inside the toy chest.
What the family didn’t know, like many parents, was that most wooden chests, once closed, become airtight and soundproof, creating a potentially deadly situation.
The tragedy has left the Myers-Starr family overwhelmed by sadness. Sadie Myers expressed their struggle to cope with the loss, writing, “Not many will ever know the feeling of trying not to spend EVERY WAKING SECOND crying in agony, so hard that it makes you fall over in pain, but we are trying soooo hard not to let our boys see us this way.”
In response to this devastating incident, a GoFundMe account was set up for the family. It has raised $32,193, a testament to the community’s support during this difficult time.
The loss of these two young lives is a heartbreaking reminder of the hidden risks that exist within our homes, emphasizing the importance of childproofing and safety awareness for parents everywhere.
