Coronavirus: Three children orphaned, after both parents die within weeks

The mother and father of three children who fled Isis, both died within a few weeks of each other, after contracting coronavirus.

Nada Ayram, who was 46 years old, died 21 April and her husband, 52-year-old Nameer, passed away from coronavirus earlier this week.

The couple left behind daughters, Nadeen, who is 18 years old and 13-year-old Nanssy, as well as son Nash, who is 20 years old.

Nadeen and Nash also contracted coronavirus, and had to be treated at home while their parents were tackling the virus in hospital.

In 2012, the family fled to Michigan from Iraq, to escape Isis, and the children do not have any other family members in the country to help them, according to the Daily Mail,

Renee Yaldo from the Chaldean American Ladies of Charity, told Fox 2 that as soon as the parents were hospitalised, a charity called “Friends of Nash” was set up to help the children.

Ms Yaldo added that the charity felt it was important that the family had financial help, in order for them to continue their lives in the US.

“This fund we raised for them is going to be so important,” she told Detroit News. “They have the rest of their lives to worry about and we don’t want them to worry about the little things as they mourn the loss of their parents.”

The initial fund was limited, but after both parents died, the charity decided that the amount raised should not have an end target.

“We can’t put a number on it and we don’t have a goal because, honestly, what is going to be the goal for the rest of these kids’ lives?” Ms Yaldo said.

“It’s going to be an ongoing thing. We thought it was something that was going to help the family pay bills for the next year or so while their parents recovered. Now the goal is to get all three of the kids to adulthood,” she added.

A GoFundMe page was also set up by a family friend, which has so far raised $152,812 (£126,000) for the children.

According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, there are now more than 1.4 million people who have tested positive for coronavirus in the US. The death toll has reached at least 85,992.

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