One week has passed since an EF-4 tornado ripped through Laurel County. People were so moved by the couple’s incredible survival story that it quickly spread throughout the nation. Through the pain, the two were able to reunite and smile in the days after that story aired.
The Cline family will never forget the night their London home was torn apart by an EF-4 tornado a week ago.
The 30-year marriage was put to the test when Gail and Paul were admitted to the hospital with serious injuries. When it stormed, they lost the arm they had put around one another.
“I owe these people [doctors and nurses] my parents’ lives,” Jeff Cline, Gail and Paul’s son stated. “It was absolutely traumatic yeah. I could make it halfway down to their neighborhood and I took off running to the neighbor’s yards, and literally when I got to their street completely walked past their house. Didn’t even recognize the house.”
“I feel like these nurses are our family at this point,” Taylor Baker, the victim’s niece stated. “She broke ten ribs and one of them punctured her lung. She had a liver laceration, a broken collar bone as well…scratches everywhere.”
Gail has made great strides since being removed from the ventilator on Thursday. Gail and Paul were hand in hand and eye to eye for the first time since the storm destroyed their neighborhood.
“Her first words off of the vent were, ‘I love you,” the victim’s niece Brandy Bowman said.
“It was very emotional in the best way. For them getting to reunite and for him finally getting to see her without that breathing tube. The photo that we have of them, she has the biggest smile on her face looking at him,” Baker stated.
It will be a long journey, but as long as they have each other, they will succeed, according to Jeff Cline.
“You take one step forward, you take three steps back. It’s been just back and forth this whole time. They are – progress but they’re still in the woods. It’s not like they’re ready to go home tomorrow they still have a long road ahead,” he stated.
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Jeff Cline expresses gratitude to his neighbors Brandon Hill and Justin Messer for saving his parents’ lives. Along with the local fire and sheriff’s departments, first responders, ministries, St. Joseph’s London Hospital, and the entire community, he also wants to thank Tim Thompson and Mark Rudder, the first EMTs.
“We teach all of these kids to believe in Superman or Batman all of that stuff,” he stated. “These guys are really the heroes in the capes.”
Thousands of people will be cheering Gail and Paul on until they can recover completely. letting them know that they are not alone in this.
According to Jeff, scans will be performed on Paul to check for internal damage. Next week, he is tentatively scheduled to be moved to a rehabilitation facility.
You can learn more about the Clines’ lengthy recovery journey by visiting their GoFundMe page.
