S04 · E05

The Bliven Family

In early April 2006, a massive F-3 tornado tore through firefighter Jerrod Hawkins' hometown of Henderson, TN. While Jerrod was on duty and could only watch the storm from his fire station, the tornado hit his home directly, ripping the house from its foundation. Amy heroically saved her sons, Jair and Cole, by lying on top of them in the basement. But unfortunately the bricks, debris and concrete that hit Amy caused permanent injuries -- her vertebrae and ribs were crushed, her lungs were punctured, and she sustained serious head trauma. After the tornado subsided, Amy and the boys were found under a pile of rubble by neighbors who called the fire station, where Jerrod had to instruct his neighbors how to give his own wife CPR.