Aroma Park, IL – A Kankakee County woman is recovering from severe injuries after a powerful EF-3 tornado tore apart her Aroma Park home Tuesday, destroying the house she built with her late husband and leaving her hospitalized after surviving the storm.
Susan Antonelli, known to family and friends as Sue, was inside the home near the Kankakee River when the tornado struck as severe storms moved through the region.
According to a GoFundMe fundraiser created by her daughter-in-law Jayne Walsh, Antonelli suffered numerous broken ribs, fractures in her back, fractures in both arms and collapsed lungs that required chest tubes. Walsh said Antonelli also sustained extensive bruising when the tornado ripped through the home.
Family members said they had been communicating in a group chat Tuesday as severe weather warnings spread across Kankakee County. Antonelli lived alone along the Kankakee River in Aroma Park, and relatives stayed in contact as the storm approached.
The messages suddenly stopped when the tornado struck the property, leaving family members unable to reach her in the immediate aftermath of the storm.
Walsh said the tornado completely destroyed Antonelli’s home, leaving her without nearly all of her belongings. The house held deep sentimental value for the family, as Antonelli and her late husband Joe had built it together and spent years making it their home.
The EF-3 tornado was part of a powerful severe weather system that moved through parts of Illinois Tuesday, causing widespread damage in Kankakee County and surrounding communities.
As Antonelli continues recovering from her injuries, family members say the road ahead will be long as she faces both medical recovery and the loss of the home she shared with her husband.
To help with medical costs and recovery efforts, the family launched a fundraiser that has already drawn support from friends, neighbors and community members.
As of Sunday night, the campaign had raised more than $11,500 toward its $18,000 goal.
Family members say the support from the community has been encouraging as Antonelli continues her recovery after surviving the tornado that destroyed her home.
