Arizona Mom Who Lost Kids In Crash Faces Foreclosure

Feb. 1, 2012— -- Troubles continue to mount for Karen Perry, the Arizona mom who lost her children and ex-husband to a fiery plane crash in the Superstition Mountains on Thanksgiving eve. At the same time, though, her local community, her employer Delta Airlines and strangers from around the world are rallying to help her.

Unless Perry's circumstances change, she shortly will have to give up her home in Gold Canyon—the same house in which she raised her three now-deceased young children, aged 6, 8 and 9. Her youngest son, Luke, suffered from autism. Her son Morgan battled epilepsy and faced brain surgery. The children and Perry's ex-husband, Shawn, 39, died when their twin-engine plane crashed en route from Mesa, Ariz., to Stafford, Ariz.

Perry's home has gone into foreclosure, thanks to financial troubles brought on by her divorce. She has put it up for a short sale later this month. Asked by ABC News if she can do anything to prevent the sale, she says, "A lot of people wanted to help me, but I think it's too late to stop. Originally, I wanted to stay in the house. But that's probably not very realistic at this point."

Her mortgage lender, Ocwen Financial, is the lien holder on the home. The lender wasn't immedately able to discuss the case.

Despite these woes, Perry says she has been buoyed by the outpouring of sympathy and support she has received not just from co-workers at Delta Airlines, where she works as a flight attendant, but from people in her community.

Four local churches banded together to hold a service celebrating the lives of her three children.

Delta, she says, has helped her financially from a company fund that assists employees in need. It chartered a Boeing 757 to bring 150 co-workers to attend the memorial service. Delta flew Perry's supervisor and two fellow flight attendants out to Gold Canyon to help her organize service.

"I've been in this industry 28 years," she say tearfully, "and I've never seen anything like it."

Her fellow workers in L.A. donated their vacation time so that Perry could take time off with pay. She says the "incredible outpouring of support" means she could, if she wanted, take off an entire year. She plans, however, to return to work in April.

The Ladies Day Fund, a group of active and retired Delta flight attendants, is raising money from donors on Perry's behalf, matching donations by up to 25 percent. Fund member Carole Lovelace says they have raised $12,550 so far, including the match.

Arizona singer-songwriter Tina Vallejo, meantime, has written a song in memory of Perry's children called Fly My Angel, which can be purchased for 99 cents on iTunes, with a portion of the proceeds going to help Perry.

And finally, a local PR firm, Bartholomeaux Public Relations, is organizing a series of fundraisers for Perry through local radio stations. "She's helping me move on with my life," says Perry gratefully.

The story of her tragedy, she says, has gone worldwide, as illustrated by the fact that she has received unsolicited condolences and offers of help from people in Italy, India, Australia, Brazil, Mexico and other countries.

"It renews your faith in human kind," she says.