Selena Gomez Tears Up Talking About a Family Killed During Hurricane Harvey

The devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey will be felt for years to come, whether its by homeowners that have lost everything, or families that have suffered the horrendous loss of loved ones. On September 12th, numerous celebrities came together for the Hand in Hand Telethon to raise money for various charities offering aid to those impacted by the monstrous storm.

Selena Gomez was one of those celebrities, and prior to the telethon, the actress and singer spoke of a family that had suffered the loss of six members: two grandparents and four children.

"August 27th: Seven members of the Saldivar family try to escape the rising flood waters. Their van is swept into the bayou. Only Sammy Saldivar manages to survive. I come from Grand Prairie, about 250 miles away from the Sadlivars’ home."

Through tears, Gomez said that the Saldivars' story has affected everyone who has heard it.

"Their story affected all who heard it. And no matter who we are, the differences we have suddenly did not seem to matter. Since that day, we have joined together — neighbor helping neighbor, without stopping to think about race, religion or anything else."

This tragedy has taken 71 lives as of September 13, 2017, and people everywhere are coming together to help with necessities, money, and shelter because, as a nation, that's what we do when disaster strikes the country. We get through it together and, as Gomez said, hand-in-hand, which is especially needed now as we gear up to face the third record breaking hurricane in just a few short weeks that's expected to slam one of our coasts.

"And if we are going to get through all the storms that confront us, that’s how we are going to do it — together, hand-in-hand.”

Though the telethon is over, you can still contribute to Hand in Hand by visiting its website at https://handinhand2017.com.

[Source: Billboard]