Tornado Destroys Home of Doctor in Viral Photo

1-year-old was with his mother elsewhere when twister struck
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 30, 2020 4:01 PM CDT
Home Seen in Doctor's Viral Photo Destroyed by Twister
Dr. Jared and Zeke Burks meet at a glass door at their home last week.   (Burks Family via AP)

Last week, a photo showing a doctor greeting his 1-year-old son through a glass door while on a break from treating COVID-19 patients went viral. Because of the coronavirus risk, Jared Burks saw son Zeke crawl for the first time through the glass. That door, and the rest of the house, have been ruined, USA Today reports. The family's Jonesboro, Arkansas, home was destroyed by a tornado Saturday. Jared Burks, who was alone in the house at the time, survived. "We are all safe. Our house is gone," Alyssa Burks posted on Facebook. She said she called her husband to warn him about the tornado while watching the news at her parents' house. She'd taken Zeke there while her husband was self-quarantining in the house.

He took shelter in a closet—"Farthest one from glass, from windows"—she said, per ABC, and was unharmed. Jared Burks is taking a day or two off work to deal with the aftermath but wants to return quickly to the University of Arkansas Medical Center, where he's a first-year resident, his wife said. A friend has started a GoFundMe page for the family; nearly $95,000 has been donated as of this writing. "They are going to need help picking up the pieces so that they can find another place to live, collect their items, rebuild, all while Jared is working and fighting for those whose health may be compromised," their friend wrote. (The tornado derailed a train when it struck Jonesboro.)

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