Berry Children Orphaned: Justin Bieber Spurs Nationwide Movement
Parents of three children die in car crash, people find creative ways to help.
July 29, 2011— -- Celebrities are now asking the public to help support three children orphaned after they were injured in a car crash that killed both their parents.
It was nearly midnight on July 2, and the family was driving back to Texas after vacationing in Colorado Springs, Colo., traveling along U.S. 285 near Fort Stockton, Texas.
A man driving northbound with his wife and 1-year-old daughter became distracted while looking for a DVD, according to San Angelo highway patrol spokesman Shawn Baxter. The driver veered into the other lane and hit the Berrys, who were traveling in the opposite direction. The wife of the distracted driver died in the head-on collision and he sustained serious injuries, but his daughter was unharmed.
Joshua Berry, 41, and his wife Robin, 40, died at the scene, and two of their children, Peter, 9, and Aaron, 8, have been treated for multiple spinal injuries at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Chicago, which has an in-patient pediatric spinal cord rehabilitation center. The boys will remain hospitalized until mid-September.
Aaron and Peter may never walk again, their uncle and legal guardian Matthew Berry told ABCNews.com, "but we'll take any miracle."
The Berry's youngest child, Willa, 6, broke her arm, ankle, knee and wrist in the crash. She is staying with family friends in Houston.
"I don't think she really understands what it means," said Matthew Berry, who will raise his brother's children with his wife Simone, along with their two young children.
Willa was awake when the accident happened, Matthew Berry said, and could give information to the state troopers.
"Like any 6-year-old, she's going through different stages of figuring out what's going on," he said.
Celebrities Ask Fans to Help Berry Family
Ever since the crash, there has been an outpouring of support for the Berry family, spurred, in part, by Justin Bieber. The singer helped launch a website telling people how to donate to the Berrys this week, tweeting, "Seeing u all come together for #showyourhearts is pretty amazing. Keep donating and spreading the word. super grateful and proud of my fans."
So far, they've raised more than $40,000, Matthew Berry said.
"My wife has a family member in Bieber's camp, and when they found out they called and asked how they could help," Matthew Berry told ABCNews.com.
Bieber had already met Peter and Aaron, who attended several of his concerts.
"He's a really, really special guy," Matthew Berry said.
Several other celebrities are also rallying around the Berry family, including Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Sean "Diddy" Combs, who have all asked their followers on Twitter to show support.
Wednesday Britney Spears tweeted "Change your profile picture today & make sure to #showyourhearts –Brit" adding a link to a picture of herself with her hands forming the shape of a heart -- the logo for shareyourhearts.org.
The well-wishes mean a lot to the paralyzed Berry children, Aaron and Peter, who are staying optimistic, said their other uncle, Adam Berry.
"Aaron is incredible -- unless something is really, really bothering him he will always manage to give you a big smile," he said.
The oldest Berry child, Peter, seems "more aware of the situation," Adam Berry said, now that he's starting to comprehend the loss of his parents.
Right now, even though Adam Berry told ABCNews.com there's only a small chance that Aaron and Peter will move their legs again, the boys' hopeful outlook "gives us strength and keeps us strong, without a doubt."
The Berry family visited Cave of the Winds in Colorado, days before the tragic car crash.
Thursday Houston jewelry store IW Marks hosted a silent auction, and on Saturday, two Houston Chick-Fil-A restaurants will donate 25 percent of their sales to the Joshua and Robin Berry Children's Trust.
Chik-Fil-A store manager Amanda Hodgson, who knows both friends and family of the Berrys, told ABCNews.com there will be entertainment and games for the kids at its Kirby location, and when it comes to the fundraising, "the sky's the limit." Her goal is to raise $10,000 by the time the store closes.
Remembering Joshua and Robin Berry
At the funeral for Joshua and Robin Berry, Joshua's youngest brother, Adam, a musician,sang a song he wrote after his father died.
Like their parents, the Berry children's grandfather was killed in a car crash.
Adam's song was posted on YouTube as well as the Berry's facebook page, which now has more than 24,000 "likes" and remains a digital memorial to the couple, as well as a way for people to show love for the family.
Joshua Berry, who ran a health care staffing company called Berry Healthcare, and his wife, Robin, an event planner, were both well-known in Houston, especially within the Jewish community.
Nearly 2,000 people attended their funeral July 6.
"My brother was a really amazing person," Matthew Berry told ABCNews.com. "He really was constantly striving to improve himself, learn new things, meet new people."
While looking at his brother's diary in the days following his death, Matthew said he found philosophical musings about how to be the best father possible.
"His kids were his hobby," Matthew Berry said.
Adam Berry, 38, described his brother Joshua as "prolific at living," saying his brother and his wife, Robin, who met through a Jewish dating service, were "really good together."
They were married for 11 years.
The distracted driver who hit the Berrys may be charged with criminally negligent homicide and injury to a child. The Fort Stockton district attorney's office told ABCNews.com that a grand jury would convene in August to make that decision. Matthew Berry told ABCNews.com its family has no plans to sue.
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