Alabama Woman Raising 12 Children After Her Sister Dies of COVID-19

An Alabama woman is now raising 12 children after her sister and brother-in-law both died of COVID-19.

Francesca McCall, 40, lost her sister, Chantale McCall, 35, and her brother-in-law, Lance Martin, 40, within a month of each other. Both died of COVID-19, according to AL.com. Now, Francesca, who is a single mom, is taking care of her own seven children and her sister’s five children, ranging in age from 2 to 17.

“She was in the healthcare field and she did all the precautions,” Francesca McCall told WSFA.com. “She wore the mask. She wore the gloves. She was very very careful, so we have no idea how she came into contact.”

Francesca told the station she had previously had conversations with her about what she would want to happen to her children if something happened to her. She noted she wouldn’t want them separated. Francesca said her sister’s children are dealing with the death of their parents and have fears of contracting COVID-19 themselves.

“We’re doing OK,” she said. “They have their moments at times, processing everything.”

A local church, West End Purity Holiness Church of God, has stepped into the offer the family support. A GoFundMe has also been started and raised more than $265,000 thus far.

Francesca is still struggling to come to terms with her sister’s passing.

“It just seems like it’s not real,” she said. “We are just expecting her to come back.”

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