Mom shields 10-month-old during tornado, suffers nine fractured ribs, punctured lung

 A mother's love knows no bounds, and Veronica's story is a powerful testament to that. Disregarding her own safety, she was severely injured while rescuing her 10-month-old daughter during a tornado in Valley View, Texas, on May 25, reported WFFA.

 Veronica's sister, Abby Peters, recounted the harrowing incident. She explained that while she sought shelter in a closet, Veronica rushed to save her daughter Zolabelle. In the chaos, Abby saw her sister swept away. "The house started shaking and she went another way and we were in the closet. And the house just started to move," Peters shared. Once the tornado was gone, they began to search for Veronica. They dug and found the mom underneath rubble, which was yards away from where their house was before. Peters said, "She had that baby in her arms the whole time. She did not let go of her." Though Veronica was severely injured, her tight grip on her baby meant Zolabelle only suffered a minor bruise.

During the tornado, Veronica suffered nine fractured ribs, a punctured lung, and a small blood clot, Peters told the outlet. She was taken to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth. The sisters were living on the same property along with their children, and they both had mobile homes. Unfortunately, their houses were destroyed in the tornado. Peters shared that their family had owned this property since 1992, and this was the first time they had witnessed a storm like that. After the disaster, the family resumed looking for their two dogs, who were home with them when the tornado hit them. 

Veronica not only saved her daughter, but also managed to warn her employees about the tornado beforehand. She is the general manager at the Shell gas station near their home and when the tornado began, she was on a call with one of her employees and the worker heard her screaming, "Help me. Save my baby." As a result, the employee immediately told everybody at the station to take cover. The tornado first hit them and then only reached the gas station which is two miles away. Officials have stated that about 125 people took cover inside the store at the gas station. 

The cars parked around the building were also damaged, however, people who were inside the store survived but sustained injuries. A fundraiser has been started to support the family. The page read, "Abby Peters and Veronica Bowers were among the many affected. Both of their homes and cars have been completely demolished." "Much like everyone else in this disaster, they only made it out with the clothes on their backs and their phones. All donations will go directly to helping them re-establish themselves, medical expenses and to help support Veronica until she can find new employment after she heals up."