Plano Family's Special Needs Van Ravaged By Hail Storm
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PLANO (CBSDFW.COM) - A hail storm Wednesday night in Plano damaged a special needs van used to carry a Carrollton Police officer's 4-year-old son.
Carter Costello has Spinal Muscular Atrophy and suffers from brittle bones.
"The van is a lifesaver. We wouldn't be able to travel, with our little boy, without it. So that was the first priority this morning," said Brandy Costello.
The family's neighborhood was pummeled by hail stones the size of golf balls.
"You just thought we were under attack," said Brandy.
A contractor found enough dings in the family's roof to consider it totaled. Brandy's new car, purchased two weeks ago, is now covered in cracks and dents.
But the damage to the van was their biggest concern.
"It probably took the worst beating. It busted the windows in the back," she said.
Glass is everywhere, all the way to the driver's seat. There's glass in the driver's seat."
Mark John Costello is a Carrollton police officer. Three years ago, CBS11 reported on the police department's fundraising efforts to collect the $83,000 necessary to buy the van.
"They organized everything, put it all together, made it happen, he said.
The family says, it's now getting the windows replaced and will eventually repair the damaged exterior.
Managing without it, in the meantime, may be difficult, but the family's learned to overcome so many obstacles already.
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