Father-of-four Mike Perdue had always been known for his incredible bear hugs. The Michigan dad died while giving his 11-year-old daughter, Laney a big hug that ended up saving her life.
Mike, Laney, and four other people were involved in a plane crash in Michigan earlier this month. Laney was the only survivor. While the details surrounding the crash are unknown, the last memory Laney has of her dad is his arms wrapped around her as they went down.
‘He gave the best hugs’Â
Mike is now being hailed a hero as his family comes to terms with their sudden loss and remain by Laney’s side as she recovers in hospital.
Mike leaves behind four children and his wife, Christina, who shared this statement with a local TV station.
[We are] heartbroken with the loss of my husband, a father, brother, son and friend.Â
[Mike] gave the best bear hugs, and I believe he grabbed our daughter and protected her. It’s her last memory before the crash.”
A long road to recovery
Although Laney is incredibly stable and alert in hospital, she has a long road ahead of her. She broke several bones but she remembers her name, her mum’s name, her phone number and her dad’s final hug.
She is being a trooper and so strong. There are many broken bones and injuries but most of them are ones that are going to heal on their own, another miracle!
This was an indescribably tragic story, but Mike Perdue was truly a hero, and his daughter’s final memory of him will always be the bear hug that saved her life.”
Since the tragic plane crash, a GoFundMe account has been set up to help with Laney’s recovery costs. The fundraiser is close to $150,000 USD.
