Under a hot Texas sun in Grand Prairie Saturday evening, friends and family lined up to dine together in support of a family in need.
"They're like, ‘I'm so sorry.’ They hear the news, or they just see the post, and they come out here and they're just supporting us,” said Vanessa Ahuyan.
With the help of community churches, Ahuyan, along with her sister Emily, held the fundraiser for their cousin Chris Ahuyan, who lost his wife and two sons two weeks back.
"What happened? We don't understand, and we may never know,” said Chris’ brother Mike Ahuyan.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
Mike said his sister-in-law, Mercedes, was on vacation in Chihuahua, Mexico, with her mom and four boys when a train collided with the family's SUV, killing all but 2-year-old Cruz and 13-year-old Cesar, who remains in serious condition.
Her husband Chris, an Irving mechanic, was just a couple of days out from joining his family.
"My brother, he's just broken right now, but we're here for him. We're all here for him,” said Mike.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
In addition to Saturday night’s fundraiser, Cesar’s baseball community joined the family for a car wash Saturday afternoon to help cover the 13-year-old’s medical expenses and to bring the entire family back home where they’ll lay to rest Mercedes; her mom, Sofia; 6-year-old Cresencio; and 6-month-old Cristobal.
"Prayers have been amazing. We have felt God's presence with us, through all this,” he said.
To help with medical bills and funeral costs, the family has set up a GoFundMe.
