Mom of 2 Kids Who Froze to Death While Sleeping in Van Says, “I tried,” but No One Helped

Photo of mom Tateona Williams (right) and her sister from FOX2Detroit.com.

*Update: Since this story broke, the city of Detroit has gifted Tateona Williams a home.

Sadly, Detroit mother of four Tateona Williams lost two of her children to hypothermia, as they slept overnight in a van. Williams says she reached out for help, but not even the city of Detroit responded with a helping hand.

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What Happened

For over three months dating back to November 2024, Tateona Williams and her children slept in a van in the city of Detroit, as she struggled to find them permanent housing and battled the growing homelessness epidemic. Unfortunately, two of her children froze to death in their sleep. Tearfully, on camera, Williams reported having awaken to her children’s lifeless bodies. They were ages 9 and 2.

The van had run out of fuel on that freezing night, leaving them without a source of warmth. According to KWTX.com, Williams said, “I’m dying inside. It hurts. It feels like my heart is breaking. But I have two more kids to live for.” She also expressed regret for “having to” sleep in the van with her children at the Hollywood Casino Hotel in their Greektown parking garage.

According to Williams, she had been on a housing waiting list but had been told by shelter staff they had no beds for family. The mayor’s version of events does not appear to match some of the facts, but he acknowledges Williams had reached out to the city of Detroit.

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The mayor of Detroit and city leaders confirmed that Williams had contacted Detroit’s homeless response team in November but “…nothing came of it.” It was a baffling and chilling statement coming from the very people responsible for the safety and welfare of their citizens. An unhoused woman with four children reached out for help a month before winter started. The lack of response was devastating.

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Three months later, it took two of her children dying in a freezing van to even acknowledge her call for help. Mayor Mike Duggan alleges Williams “never called back” and admitted homelessness prevention staff “never proactively reached out to” Williams. As previously noted, Williams said she had been in contact with shelters in the city and had been told by staff there weren’t any beds for families.

There has also been some debate on social media concerning if Tateona Williams had reached out to the father of her children for help. In unconfirmed posts, some are reporting that the father of her children said he tried to help but that she chose “pride.” This is an unfounded allegation.

It’s important to remember this mother lost two of her children. Williams said — and the mayor of the city and its officials confirmed — she had at least reached out to them. In her interview, she was visibly distraught and apologetic for her situation. She said she tried, and it’s proof that she did. Now, she needs space and time to breathe, heal and recover. She’s trying to cope with what transpired.

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“It took my two kids to die for y’all to help me? It just don’t work like that… It hurt losing two kids in one night. You know, I don’t wish this on nobody, and if you can get help, please go get help, because I don’t want nobody else to go through what I’m feeling,” Tateona Williams said, as reported by KWTX.com.

Video of mom Tateona Williams and family recounting the morning of the incident can be found on FOX2Detroit.com.

A Detroit funeral home will be providing services free to the family.

The Takeaway

Tateona Williams lost two of her children overnight in a freezing van in an incident that shouldn’t have happened. Three months prior, she reached out to the city of Detroit for help. No one returned her call or checked back on her. Staff of shelters she did talk to denied her and her children housing. The result was tragic. Her case is devastating, but it isn’t unique in the grand scheme of government failures. It’s not uncommon for social service organizations to ignore their obligations. This has to be addressed across the nation. In this tragic time, it is best to let this grieving mother have her space and peace. You can donate to her GoFundMe campaign to help secure housing for her and her children here.

This article was written by Jermaine Reed, MFA, the Editor-in-Chief of The Reeders Block. He also works an Adjunct College Professor. Join the email list to get notifications on new blog posts and books. This article is 100% human-written. And remember, if you see an error, that’s what makes us human.