PONTIAC (WWJ) -- A grieving family has set up a GoFundMe account to help care for a 10-year-old girl after her mother and two young brothers froze to death in a field over the weekend when the woman suffered a mental health crisis and refused help from relatives.
According to authorities, 35-year-old Monica Cannady of Pontiac was afflicted by delusions that someone was trying to kill her. Due to her illness, she believed everyone was involved in the conspiracy, including her family and police.
In a Monday afternoon update, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said that family members had attempted to get Kennedy help, but she refused and fled with her three children.
Local law enforcement confirmed that they had gotten calls about a woman and several young children wandering the area. They had been out of doors since at least Friday, January 13, and were not properly dressed for the harsh winter weather.
At some point, Cannady asked her kids to lie down in a field near Orchard Lake Rd and Bagley to sleep.
Related
Sunday morning, the 10-year-old daughter woke up and walked to a nearby home, whose owner called 911.
Autopsies would later confirm that 35-year-old Monica and her three- and nine-year-old sons died of accidental hypothermia.
Sheriff Bouchard called the tragic deaths "accidental but preventable."
The daughter was also suffering from hypothermia, but is said to be in stable condition.
The Cannady family has created a GoFundMe page to help cover hospital costs and other expenses as they help care for Monica's surviving child.
In the post, relatives emphasize that although her actions were tragically affected by a mental illness, she would do anything for her kids.
"Monica was a loving, caring mother to her children, always a hard worker making sure her children were well taken care of."
More on today's top stories:
Related
