MUSKOGEE, Okla. — A Muskogee family needs help after a series of tragedies expanded their family from four to seven.
“We’ve taken in the kids,” said Michael Baker Jr. “Supplied them with shelter and whatnot. Just have taken on the full-blown responsibility, so it’s been a huge impact on the family.”
A deadly accident on Highway 69 in Muskogee took the life of 33-year-old Ashley Baker. It happened on June 3, 2023. The mother of three was heading to the store when she hit a semi-truck. Her three young children, ages 8,10,12, were inside the car when it happened.
“I was in disbelief,” said Baker. “Ashley was a very caring person. She was funny. She liked to joke a lot. She liked to laugh.”
Ashley was Michael’s cousin, but they were raised as siblings. Two of her children were critically injured in the wreck and spent weeks in the hospital. Michael’s dad, Michael Baker Sr., immediately stepped in to care for the kids.
“He was already in her life helping raise the three children,” said Baker. “Just kind of stepped up and did everything he needed to do to help the kids. As soon as they were released, they came to his house. He took off work. He was allowed to work from home, thankfully, and he just began to get their doctor’s appointments together and nurse them back to health.”
Unfortunately, four weeks after the wreck that claimed Ashley’s life, Michael’s father died.
“Came out of absolutely nowhere,” said Baker. “We went shopping. We did our fourth-of-July shopping trip, which we do every year. As soon as we got done shopping, we dropped him off at home, and we got a call about two hours later that he was unresponsive.”
Baker says he hasn’t had a moment to process the dual tragedies because he’s making sure Ashley’s children are okay.
“Me and my wife, we took them straight in,” said Baker. “We were very concerned about their emotional state and well-being and he wasn’t there to help them balance that out. We kind of jumped in and opened our home to them.”
The transition hasn’t been without challenges as the Bakers reconfigure their home for the addition of three more children. As their family of four expanded to seven, they moved their personal bedroom to the garage to give the younger kids a place to sleep inside the house. They’re hoping to make that a permanent space with a bathroom, along with kitchen renovations and creating a privacy fence around the home.
“It’s been a huge adjustment just space,” said Baker. “We want to be able to raise them comfortably. We want to be comfortable as well.”
They’ve launched a GoFundMe to help raise money for the project, but they’re also asking for supplies and volunteers.
“Just anything anybody feels on their heart to do,” said Baker. “We kind of need things to be functioning appropriately for us to be able to, so it’s pretty desperate that we get our home situated.”
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