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Amanda Butterfield Reporting There's a family in Payson that needs a little help. Their world was turned upside down this weekend after a death, and a medical condition of another family member is looming over them.
Five young children lost their father over the weekend. Most of them are so young they don't fully understand that they'll never see their dad again.
Porter, Braxton, Megan, Emery and Hunter lost their father, Jim Hall, Friday night under unusual circumstances. "My daddy's up in heaven because he died," Porter said.
On Thursday, Jim took Braxton in the mountains, and their truck flipped. "Me and my dad were on a hike, and we fell down the mountain halfway in the truck," Braxton explained.
Jim was able to get them both out and walked 15 miles before they were found. It wasn't until Friday night he went to the hospital. "They diagnosed him with a broken back," Penny Pyle, the children's grandmother, said.
He was scheduled for surgery Monday, but he didn't make it. "When Jess got up Saturday morning, he was dead," Pyle said.
Jessica is his wife, and now a single mother with no way to support her family. "Here they are with no income whatsoever, no life insurance, no health insurance; five little babies to watch after," Pyle explained.
No insurance is a big deal because 1-year-old Emery has a medical condition. "Way huge medical problems. They diagnosed her with a cyst in her brain, and she also has calcification of the brains," Pyle said.
Emery will have a childhood filled with appointments at Primary Children's Medical Center.
Because of Emery, and the rest of the kids, the whole community has become involved: a fund is set up at Zions Bank, and a local elementary school is planning a fundraiser for them.
Yet, friends worry the family will need more help than their small community can provide. "But the thing is, she needs more than Payson. This is going to be a lifetime of help," neighbor Amy Collyen said.
Today is Jim's birthday; it's also his viewing. His funeral is tomorrow.
If you want to help his kids, you can donate to the James Timothy Hall Fund at Zions Bank.
