WATERLOO, Iowa \u2014 A tragic crash in Kenya has claimed the lives of two Waterloo children and left a third in critical condition. The accident has prompted a wave of support from the local community.<\/p>\n
The crash occurred on a Sunday on a highway near Nairobi. Family friend Lyndie Maina said the driver may have fallen asleep and, upon waking, attempted to avoid a head-on collision, resulting in another car hitting the side of their vehicle.<\/p>\n
Emmanuel DeLeon, an eighth grader at Hoover Middle School, and his younger brother, Kairu Winkelpleck, a preschooler, both died on impact. Their sister, Njeri DeLeon, a junior at West High School, is currently in a medically induced coma in the ICU.<\/p>\n
The children’s mother, Leah, originally from Kenya, and her husband, Christopher, were not seriously injured in the crash.<\/p>\n
Maina expressed gratitude for the community’s response. “It’s overwhelming to see how people can come together for a person they may not even know,” Maina said.<\/p>\n
A GoFundMe campaign set up by a family friend has raised more than $33,000. The funds will assist with medical expenses, funeral costs, travel, and support for the parents to stay with their daughter during her recovery. The goal is to raise $50,000.<\/p>\n