In the wake of this weekend’s deadly North Texas tornadoes that devastated four counties and killed seven people, we’re also hearing stories of miraculous survival.
23-year-old Elizabeth Gilbert and her fiancé 26-year-old Zach Moore were sheltering inside their Valley View home when it was wiped off the map by the storm, sending them both to the ICU with severe injuries.
After days of fighting, Gilbert was released from the hospital this afternoon.
It was a moment Gilbert said she nearly couldn’t believe was possible – being wheeled out of Medical City Denton by her family, five days after the Valley View tornado destroyed nearly everything they had.
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“Honestly I don’t really remember everything,” Gilbert said. “It’s all kind of a blur.”
On Saturday, Gilbert and Moore took their engagement pictures in Cooke County.
“I put that on a couple minutes before it hit,” Gilbert said, showing NBC 5 her engagement ring.
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Hours later, Gilbert woke up to Moore telling her a storm was coming and to hide in a closet.
“I remember being in that closet, and the whole thing tilting,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert and Moore’s home was obliterated down to the foundation, with the tornado picking it up with the couple inside and throwing the home to the other side of the street.
The two were found in the wreckage - Gilbert with serious injuries to her head, and Moore facing damage to his spinal cord.
They were rushed to the ICU, where Gilbert had to have her head injuries stapled shut, and Moore had to have emergency surgery on his spine.
In the hospital, Gilbert remembered seeing her family and drifting in and out of consciousness.
“It felt fake to me, other than my sleep,” Gilbert said. “I’ve just been worried about Zach and everybody else.”
Gilbert’s condition slowly improved, and she learned that her fiancé’s surgery was successful – and he was not expected to be left paralyzed.
There has been no timeline set for when Moore would be able to leave the hospital.
“I’m happy to know he’s alive,” Gilbert said.
Leaving the ICU, Gilbert said the idea of recovering from this tornado seemed overwhelming.
“As far as I know, my home is gone,” Gilbert said. “I feel numb.”
She said she was inspired to keep going by her animals, who survived the storm, and the man she hopes to marry after overcoming this setback.
“I think he’s doing better,” Gilbert said. “I hope we can continue.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been started to support the couple after losing nearly everything in the storm. You can donate to the campaign here.
