Texas mom recalls harrowing moment she told 6-year-old daughter her friend died in floods: ‘She lost it’

HOUSTON, TEXAS: As the full scope of the Texas flood disaster continues to unfold, one Houston mother is grappling not only with the loss in her state but with the heartbreak of having to explain the tragedy to her young daughters, one of whom knew one of the girls who died at Camp Mystic.

Alicia Duff, 40, was visiting family in the Dallas-Fort Worth area when she learned that among the victims of the catastrophic flash flooding in Kerr County was a camper her children knew. The revelation turned the statewide tragedy into a deeply personal one.

Now, her viral TikTok post sharing her decision to talk openly with her children about the death has sparked both support and criticism, as she encourages others to embrace empathy and emotional safety in parenting.

Alicia Duff shares how she gently informed her daughter about friend who died in floods

While watching local coverage of the disaster with her two daughters, Elliana, eight, and Amelia, six, Alicia Duff said the girls noticed that Kerr County was mentioned. But it wasn’t until the next morning, scrolling Facebook at her aunt’s house, that Alicia saw something chilling — a post showing the names and photos of the girls reported missing from the camp. One of them was a friend of my daughter’s, Blakely. 

“It was like a stomach punch,” Alicia told People. “It’s heartbreaking already, but then it hits even harder. All these thoughts rush in at once — like, we know her. My kids play with her…”

The girls weren’t best friends, but they had spent meaningful time together, attending gymnastics camp and playing on the same softball team. “They weren’t super close, but they talked, they played together. It’s still really impactful. It’s heavy.”

Alicia decided to delay telling her eldest daughter, who had just left for her first sleepaway camp in another part of Texas. But she chose to speak with her youngest, Amelia, later that day after gymnastics camp.

“She just lost it,” Duff recalled. “Full-on red face, puffy eyes, sobbing.”

Alicia pulled Amelia into her lap and gently comforted her. “I told her, ‘It’s okay, babe. Anything you’re feeling is okay. You can let it out.’”

She said her children had previously experienced grief when her father, their grandfather, died but this was something new, something sudden.

“No one should ever have to talk to their kids about stuff like this,” she said. “It’s another level of heartbreak, and kids don’t have the same understanding that adults do.”

“For me, it was just about making sure that she felt like she had a safe place, that she could give me whatever feelings she wanted to,” Alicia added. 

Alicia added that Amelia is also receiving therapy to help process the trauma.

 Alicia Duff's emotional TikTok about telling daughter about camp flood loss strikes a chord with millions

In the wake of the conversation with her daughter, Alicia Duff posted a video on TikTok describing how she approached the topic and why she believes honest communication and emotional safety are key.

The video quickly went viral, reaching over 6 million people. While many praised her openness and emotional sensitivity, some criticized her approach.

“There’s no perfect way to parent — just no rulebook,” she said. “There’s no guide, and every kid is different. So I have to appreciate the fact that I do know my kid the best. That’s what you get to do as a parent. You get to make the decisions for your kids based on what you believe is best for them. People don’t have to agree with that.”

She said the response from some adults online has deeply moved her.

"It breaks my heart to hear that there are adults on TikTok who are saying, ‘I wish my parents had been kind and understanding and let me talk about my feelings when I was a kid,'" Alicia shared. 

She further added, “I can’t imagine something like this and being like, ‘Hey, stop crying. It’s going to be fine. We just need to move on.’”

“There’s a time and a place for talking to kids like that because you don’t want 'em to dwell on stuff. But something like this, I mean, this can affect them for the rest of their lives,” Alicia noted. 

Alicia Duff prepares to tell her older daughter about flood tragedy as death toll climbs past 120

While Amelia now knows what happened, Alicia Duff is preparing to have a similar conversation with Elliana once she returns from camp.

“I’ve been watching people heartbroken all over the world because of this, and it makes us want to hold our kids tighter and appreciate the days,” she said. “Appreciate the fights, the arguments between the kids, the stuff that makes you want to pull your hair out.”

“It’s hard to remember sometimes that there are parents out there who would give their last breath to have that experience one more time,” Alicia added. 

At least 129 people have died in the catastrophic Central Texas floods, with 100 fatalities in Kerr County alone, including 36 children. More than 1,500 people have been rescued so far, while over 170 remain missing as search efforts continue along the devastated Guadalupe River.