The fourth child

Vanessa Kasennanoron McGregor, lovingly nicknamed Nessie, passed away in 1982, when she was just three and a half years old in a tragic accident. (Courtesy: Amelia McGregor)

Story told by Amelia McGregor

Growing up, I always had dolls to play with, and I used to have dreams about having my own children. Bringing them around the kitchen table and making sure the table was always full.

When we had our five children, I was a stay-at-home mom.

The fourth child. It was in the wintertime, and it was a nice snowfall. She wanted to play outside with the rest of the kids. All of a sudden, they came in and they said she was missing. They had made a snow tunnel, and we couldn’t find her.

By the time we found her, it was too late. When we went to the hospital, I was holding her, and it brought me right back to my brother and the feeling that I had when I was holding him.

She was gone, but her body was not cold or stiff. They said that they would have to do an autopsy.

I’m sorry to say, but I lost it. I started screaming, “Nobody’s gonna cut her up like my brother.” I said, “I can’t do this.”

We were lucky that Joe was friends with the priest at our local church. Joe was Catholic but I was Longhouse.

The priest went to them and told them, “I know this family. I’ve known them for a long time. Can you please not do that? We know it was an accident. We know that they’re good people, they wouldn’t do anything to harm their children.”

We were able to not have an autopsy done on her.

We survived it. It’s surprising how we survived it. She was three and a half.