A 2-year-old boy who survived being thrown from his house in last week's tornado is out of the hospital. Zane McFarland has a cast over much of his body, but his parents say he's happy and they feel blessed to be able to hold him again.
There was a time in the chaos of last week's tornado that Daren McFarland thought he may have lost his son. He and his wife lost everything else in their Sonoraville home, which was blown off its foundation and slammed into Highway 53.
Zane and his great grandmother, Betty Stewart, were huddled next to each other in a hallway when the tornado hit. It blew the walls around them apart, and sent Betty and Zane flying through the air around 100 feet before leaving them in the middle of the road.
"I was in complete shock that they lived through it. I mean, there's nothing there," said Daren McFarland.
Zane suffered several breaks in his left leg.
"You know he wants to get around and play and crawl around on the floor, run around on the floor. But for being 2, he's doing an awesome job," said Daren McFarland.
The McFarlands are staying with family for the time being, but their future -- as is the case with Zane's injury -- is uncertain.
"In long term, his leg will either grow slower than his other leg or grow too much. But that will be further down the road. There are corrective surgeries for all that, so it's not over yet. This will be a life-long thing for him," Daren McFarland said.
His family has a fund set up for Zane, at the North Georgia National Bank in Calhoun.
Zane's great grandmother, Betty, is still in the hospital. She has several broken bones in her legs and back. She just started rehab and is expected to make a full recovery.
Thursday, May 23 2013 2:17 PM EDT2013-05-23 18:17:55 GMT
The state rested its case on Thursday in the trial of Michael Parson. He's accused of shooting his wife eight times in April 2011 outside their Sandy Springs apartment.
The state rested its case on Thursday in the trial of Michael Parson. He's accused of shooting his wife eight times in April 2011 outside their Sandy Springs apartment.
Thursday, May 23 2013 1:55 PM EDT2013-05-23 17:55:29 GMT
Police in Palmetto say they're investigating the abduction of a 13-year-old boy.
Police in Palmetto say they're investigating the abduction of a 13-year-old boy. They say he was approached by a man as he got off his school bus on Wednesday, and that man pulled him into a pickup truck. He was able to escape, but the suspect is still on the loose.
Thursday, May 23 2013 1:33 PM EDT2013-05-23 17:33:35 GMT
The wives of first responders in Atlanta took to the picket line on Thursday morning to demand a salary hike for city workers.
The wives and family members of first responders in Atlanta took to the picket line on Thursday morning to demand a salary hike for city workers. They say their loved ones are forced to work extra jobs just to make ends meet, leaving little time for family.
Thursday, May 23 2013 1:06 PM EDT2013-05-23 17:06:09 GMT
The fox responsible for biting two Newton County elementary school students while they played on their school's playground remains on the loose.
The fox that bit two Newton County elementary school students while they played on the playground is still on the loose. Animal control authorities tell FOX 5 someone from Rocky Plains Elementary School reported a fox sighting on campus one day before the boys were attacked.
Thursday, May 23 2013 7:32 AM EDT2013-05-23 11:32:32 GMT
As we celebrate Memorial Day weekend, we'll pause to remember the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
As we celebrate Memorial Day weekend, we'll pause to remember the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. It's also a great time to thank veterans for their service to our country—veterans just like World War II American hero Lew Fern.
