SHEPHERD - Most people can't imagine losing a child, let alone two. But for one Shepherd family, that’s a reality after a fatal ATV crash over the weekend.
Four days later, their family is shining more light on the lives of Hunter and Olivia McCaulou and how much joy they brought to the world.
“We always had a great time with them. They were easy kids. Easy to love because they loved you back," Steven Parker, the children's grandfather, said Tuesday.
The Shepherd Community Park was the children's favorite place to go and one of their last stops before the fatal accident Friday.
Olivia, 4, and Hunter, 5, had huge personalities, according to their grandfather.
“Olivia was the smiliest baby in the world from the day she was born. She smiled at everybody whether she knew them or not. Hunter, on the other hand. was very expressive. He was just a happy kid,” said Parker.
He says both of his grandchildren loved fishing, the outdoors and playing sports. The two were also inseparable and the best of friends.
As for how the family is holding up, “like most parents, they’re devastated. There’s some laughter and some great stories about the kids followed by sobbing," said Parker.
Addison McCaulou, the children's 13-year-old sister was driving the ATV when it crashed.
She is doing all right physically and has been released from the hospital, but she is also dealing with the loss of her siblings, Parker said.
“She’s a sweet girl and she’s struggling like all of us are right now,” he said.
It's a family forever changed.
“If I could say something to them right now, I'd wrap them both up in a bear hug and tell them both how much I love them,” the children's uncle, Tom McCaulou, said.
An account has been set up at Altana Federal Credit Union called "The Hunter and Olivia McCaulou Benefit." Donations will be used for the family's expenses.
