Ashlie Ovesny underwent surgery Tuesday evening for injuries she suffered in a tornado that hit the small town of Van Vleck, located about 70 miles southwest of Houston. Her husband told Eyewitness News she has fractures to her spine from protecting their two children from the tornado's wrath.
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"She grabbed the kids as the house started to move, and she held them to her chest as the house tumbled. She took the brunt of everything. She ended up on top of the kids, but everything hit her and her back. All the TVs, the cabinets, couch -- everything flipped on top of her," Anthony Ovesny said.
VIDEO: Tornado damage from SkyEye
SkyEye's view of tornado damage across SE Texas
Their son, Jace, 1, and daughter, Aurea, 3, escaped with just scratches. The tornado left their mobile home upside down. Their oldest daughter was at school when the tornado struck.
"She said, 'Momma, held me,'" Ovesny's daughter told him. "Thank God for a mother's love."
Ashlie was flown to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center for surgery. Her husband said she gave a thumbs-up before heading in. Doctors tell them her prognosis is good.
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PHOTOS: Tornado damage across southeast Texas
The family lost everything in their house, except what matters most.
"Someone had a hand in it. Somewhere up above, somebody was watching over them," Ovesny said.
Relatives have set up a GoFundMe page for the family. Click here to make a donation.