Fatal crash leaves twin boys without dad, mom has severe head injuries

Keely Arthur by Keely Arthur

A tragic car accident has altered the lives of two young boys from Cottage Grove.

The boys’ parents Kirk and Jennifer U’Ren were hit by another car Sunday on Highway 30 near Fair Oaks Avenue in Madison.

Kirk died at the scene. Jennifer has severe head injuries, but doctor’s haven’t determined how much brain damage she has yet, a family member told News 3 Friday.

As Jennifer U’Ren hangs on for life in a nearby hospital and preparations for Kirk U’Ren’s funeral are made, their twins, Kayden and Grayson, played at daycare Tuesday.

“Creating a sense of normalcy is imperative in times like this,” Terra Klein, the program director at Kids’ Safari Learning Center, said.

Teachers and staff at Kids’ Safari Learning Center have looked after the boys since they were infants, but after the crash they decided to cover the boy’s tuition and spearhead a fundraiser.

“Babies need a lot of supplies. They’re expensive and babies eat a lot,” Klein said.

“It is going to take the whole community and people pulling together to support those boys in the best way possible,” Leighanne Dockerty, administrator at Kids’ Safari, said.

Staff at Kids’ Safari are trying to focus on the positive. They remember Kirk as a loving father.

“We would call him super dad,” Klein said.

They are all holding on to hope that Jennifer will pull through, and are taking comfort in knowing that Kirk did have brief but meaningful experiences with the boys.

“That will definitely carry through for the rest of their lives,” Klein said.

If you’d like to donate to the U’Ren twins, a GoFundMe page has been created.

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