Copeland Family Fire

  Macey Jones: More items have been added to the family's Amazon registries. It is beyond overwhelming the amount of people reaching out and asking what they can do to help. I'm so grateful for the inspiration my family had to make a list which then became an Amazon registry. It has helped give us an answer to all of you amazing people who ask what you can do to help. It has given me a task that makes me feel like I'm able to help Whitney, Kyle, Pepper, Kade, Emree and Krew. It has created organization out of chaos. Life continues to teach me that no single person is above heart ache and pain. God knew this life would be difficult and yet he sent us anyway knowing the growth would be greater than the pain it takes to get there. Just like a seed who has to break out of a hard situation (hard shell and complete darkness) the after math is more beautiful than we ever could have imagined. There is more growth in affliction. There is more Christ like love and comfort in afflicti

The Copeland Family Updates (Janie Hawley) 12/31/2021 9:30am Update 12/31 at 9:30 am from Greg Copeland, Kyle's father who is at the UMC Burn Center in Las Vegas with Whitney, holding vigil with their family: "The continual outpouring of love and support from so many, in ways both great and small, is quite overwhelming and truly appreciated. Earlier today Whitney was able to spend some time with Kyle.   Afterwards, she reported that, “I sat with Kyle, and they lowered his sedation in order for him to hear my voice. He stirred a little and I was able to tell him I was there, and his kids were all safe and being taken care of.   I asked if he could hear me, and he squeezed my hand over and over. They sedated him shortly after. I loved feeling his fingers squeeze mine ♥️.” This afternoon, Whitney had a tender moment with Pepper.   While it’s difficult to decipher her limited lip movements, when Whitney and Pepper can actually communicate it is a joyous moment for both of

Whitney Copeland: Can’t get that damn bus out of my mind. That bus that we dreamt about. Schemed. Planned. Then actually bought. It was crazy and we knew it. It consumed our thoughts, time and every extra $ went into it for 2 years. It was what we wanted, what we needed. It was a way for us to simplify it was a retreat. We became minimalists to focus on us, to focus on Kyle’s recovery, to focus on time together, because we knew that’s what’s important. It was our safe haven. It was a beautiful solitude after hardships that this life can offer.  Life can be cruel. I’ve learned without living the hard times we can’t really fully understand the beauty this life has to offer. To everything there is an opposite. We created the opposite of what we had been experiencing and it was beautiful.  We celebrated birthdays, with our uneven cake from baking in an uneven parking lot. Holidays. We laughed at our 3ft Charlie Brown tree with homemade ornaments and lights that Krew & Emree put on. It

Whitney Copeland: I just had a tender moment with Pepper. It’s difficult to decipher only lip movements so when we can communicate it is a joyous moment for both of us!  She was asking about the bus. And everything on it. I asked her if she remembered that the bus was on fire. She said yes, then asked what about everything? I said everything was burnt and lost in the fire. But everyone in our family got out and is safe. I then asked if she wanted to know about a surprise. She said yes. I told her that someone bought her an iPod touch and that they are mailing it here. She said, who? I told her I didn’t know and she smiled so big I thought her face might burst. Immediately after she asked, what about Kade? I said he got a new switch. What about Emree? I told her she got a new tablet and Krew did too. What about you? I have my phone and it still works! Daddy? I told her daddy will get a new phone. She nodded her head and looked very content. I love her. I love that even in a sedated stat

Addey Kerr: Here is an accumulation of all of the accounts of everyone I've heard from that night. Kyle and Whitney were outside the bus hitching the bus to their trailer. Kyle was kneeling working on it and Whitney was holding the flashlight. Pepper and Kade were in their bunks. Kade was reading and Pepper was using her new iPod Touch. Krew and Emree were in playing on the floor isle towards the front of the bus. They began to hear a propane tank leaking which Emree described as "the sound of water" but was the whistling noise of leaking fumes. This caused Pepper to look over the top of her iPod and yell, "Oh no! Emree go get Mom!" Emree was then off the bus and yelled to her parents that something was leaking and something about a fire when the whole bus engulfed in flames. Whitney screamed and began taking off her coat and running to get to the front of the door. Kyle arrived right behind her and as she took the first step into the bus, he grabbed her arm and

The Copeland Family Updates (Janie Hawley) 12/30/2021 12:31pm I honestly don't even know where to start with these updates and feel very inadequate. But I will do my best to keep it somewhat organized. Please offer all of the grace you can muster with my writing. I'll begin with the night of the event. I understand that not knowing what is going on or what happened and not having details can feel overwhelming, so I want to share some details and miracles from the night of the event to maybe offer some peace of "knowing". I want to warn you before reading, that this post is detailed and could be triggering if you have experienced similar trauma in that past. Here is an accumulation of all of the accounts of everyone I've heard from that night. Kyle and Whitney were outside the bus hitching the bus to their trailer. Kyle was kneeling working on it and Whitney was holding the flashlight. Pepper and Kade were in their bunks. Kade was reading and Pepper was usi

Addey Kerr: Hi everyone! Yesterday was a long long day. We missed our connecting flight to Vegas which caused us to wait in the airport for an additional 9 hours. But we made it to the hospital a little after 8pm last night. We got to see our sweet Whitney. She looks fabulous and I teased her about how dang good she looks in all her new clothes from all of you. (Thank you guys. The woman was walking around in a blood stained smoky, burnt shirt for nearly 24 hours after.) She's our Whitney and was making us laugh. When I got on the plane I felt so much anxiety because there was no work to do. With my phone on airplane mode I no longer was able to be making arrangements, calling people and staying busy with getting things donated and provided for this family and just had to sit and wait (probably how many of you feel). But then when we landed and I took airplane mode off, my phone just froze up and received so many notifications for about a minute and a half. We've decided it

Whitney Copeland:     Perspective. That’s the word that keeps ringing through my head. It’s all about Perspective. Tragedy has hit our family once again. This is not the first time we have dealt with medical trauma. It doesn’t get easier, but with perspective I can see this for what it is. An experience. One that we were chosen to experience. Perspective reminds me that God will never give us more than we can handle. When I remind myself of that I feel hope. My Kyle and my children’s faces and bodies will most likely not be the same. Their extremities, I’m told will need multiple surgeries and weeks of physical therapy. I’m not sure what that will “look like” in the next few weeks but perspective tells me they are alive and here for a reason. The worldly cares of looks and functionality at this point are just not important. Baby steps. One day at a time will be our motto for as long as we need it to be. I’m overwhelmed by the amount of support from all the friends, neighbors, pa

Addey Kerr: Thank you everyone for all of the love and support you've been extending. We feel it. We are grateful and have felt buoyed up from the community we have felt throughout the country. By no surprise, Kyle and Whitney have proven to be some of the most loved people I've ever seen. So many have come running to their aid and we can't thank you enough. Many have asked for some updates. I'll share some vague ones here while trying to maintain some privacy for Whitney Kerr Copeland . Kade and Emree and their dog Hazel were not harmed in the accident and are heading to Idaho to stay with family for a while. Macey Jones made an Amazon wish list of some of Emree and Kade's favorite gifts they received for Christmas only days ago and a few items that would be helpful to have. https://www.amazon.com/reg.../custom/9RVXAQ8ZKVC0/guest-view Whitney is caring for her sweetheart Kyle, Pepper and Krew in the Las Vegas hospital. Their burns are very severe and we are trying

Addey Kerr:  I've just boarded my plane to Vegas to go be with Whitney. My mom and I will be out there with her by noon Vegas time. I was able to text with Whitney last night for a little bit. She sent me Amazon links to what she got the kids for Christmas, their Christmas jammies and other toys that the kids loved. Lots of books and items she and Kyle need. She said she would love the kids to have things they are familiar with. She's doing good and is SO grateful. Please continue to check the Amazon list as you can and help with these items. I've sent all these items on to Macey Jones and she will be updating the list today so please watch that.  Within 24 hours you have all responded and met so many of their temporal needs. That stress is gone, thank you. Now we wait and allow their bodies to heal and allow the medical professionals and God meet their physical and emotional needs. Thank you for being God's hands.

Kyle and Whitney Copeland bought a used city bus a couple of years ago with plans of converting it into a family motorhome and spending some time together traveling across the country with their four children, Pepper age 11, Kade age 10, Emree age 6, Krew age 3, and Hazel, their dog. They packed up everything they owned and hit the road. Whitney was home schooling the kids as they traveled From Utah to Maine and back, landing for a spell at a friends home in Veyo, Utah. Around 10 pm on the evening of December 28, 2021, the children were inside. Kade and Pepper in their bunks and Emree and Krew up front playing. Kyle and Whitney and Hazel were outside hitching up their trailer, preparing to leave the following day. Emree came running out of the bus to tell her dad the heater was making a funny noise. No sooner had she got her message delivered, the bus burst into flames. This blog is a little disjointed as quotes and copied posts from Facebook and other sources have come in an erratic m