We now have a statement from the grandmother of two-year-old Aeon Tocchini, who was crushed by a fallen redwood tree in Wednesday’s storms. The family has not only lost a son, but their home is also physically destroyed.

We know there are at least two fatalities from this week’s bomb cyclone/ atmospheric river storms, but surely the most heartbreaking is the death of a two-year-old in Sonoma County, killed by a redwood tree that fell on his family’s home in Occidental. And now some family members are ready to speak publicly about the incident, not only crushing the mobile home they were living in, but also two-year-old Aeon Tocchini, who had been sitting on a couch.

"His life was a short life,” Aeon’s grandmother Aileen Tocchini, who’d flown in from Idaho, told KTVU. “But his life has made a difference and will continue to make a difference, I believe, for many generations. And Aeon means forever," she said, referring to the Latin word.

A total of three trees fell on the family’s home, the first killing young Aeon, and the second killing the family's cat. According to KTVU, the boy’s mother Aisha Tocchini said that she had been feeding nearby along Joy Road "when she heard an explosion around 5 p.m." The noise turned out to be crack of a large tree, which came down on the family's double-wide trailer.

Neighbor Kipper Capell, who lives a few doors down from the household, told KTVU that on Wednesday night, "I stayed up all night because I couldn't get [mother Aisha’s] cries of anguish out of my head."

Little Aeon is survived by siblings Eden and Danny, neither of whom was injured in the incident.

A relative of father Dan Tocchini has set a GoFundMe for Aeon Tocchini’s family. “My brother has not only lost his precious son but also lost his home. Three redwood trees fell on his house and his truck during the storm,” the GoFundMe says. “Any funds contributed will go to the funeral costs to honour and celebrate Aeon's life. They will also help rebuild a young family.”

The child's aunt writes on the GoFundMe page, "Aeon, my beautiful baby nephew was also known as, 'Goldie' to our family. You can say it was because of his beautiful blond hair, I say it was because he shined like the sun!"

The fundraiser has already far exceeded its goal and raised nearly $170,000 for the family.

Related: Two Deaths Attributed to Storm Including Sonoma Toddler; 70,000 Still Without Power [SFist]

Image via GoFundMe