3407 Families Bond As One

CLARENCE, NY - They have become the best of friends for the worst of reasons.

The 3407 families are bound together, and forever, by their shared loss.

A husband, a daughter, a father, a sister, a son, a girlfriend.

But out of the shared grief of the 50 families, has emerged a new family.

Scott Brown: "How do you guys refer to yourselves?"

John Kausner, who lost his daughter Elly:

"As the 3407 Family."

"This group is my new family, and I appreciate them so much," said Tina Saniscalco, who lost her sister, Mary Abraham, in the crash.

Most of us only know the 3407 families through their very public battle lobbying Washington to improve flight safety.

"I guess when we all started coming together, bound for Washington and trying to fight for legislation, I don't think we ever imagined how close our friendships would become," said Kathy Johnston who lost her husband Kevin in the crash.

Those friendships have grown to include weekend retreats, Christmas parties, and baby showers.

One of those showers was for Jennifer Green Quimby and her husband Mike. Jennifer lost her dad, Brad.

Last year, Jennifer and Mike had twin boys. But the babies came 13 weeks early, and weighed under two pounds each.

The couple spent three months at Women and Children's Hospital with the twins.

They set up a website so that all of the other 3407 family members could keep up on the babies' progress.

Jennifer Quimby: "They were constantly texting or calling or you know the website was awesome that we had because people could write little comments to us."

Scott Brown: "What did that mean to you guys?"

Jennifer Quimby: "It was awesome, those comments would get us through the day and just to have people who already experienced such a tragedy with you, you know that they understand hurt and pain and just to know that they were behind us through that I know that really helped us get through. God has blessed us with another family."

Once the babies came home the other family members held the shower.

"Those babies were our babies at that point too, we're all the aunts and grandmas and grandpas and they will continue to be part of our lives now too. Big time," said Helen Agius who lost her brother in law, Kevin Johnston.

Throughout our interview, one of those new "aunts," Tina Saniscalco held one of the twins.

Scott Brown: "Did you feel it was a renewal, or affirmation of life?"

Helen Agius: "Yeah because with all the death we suffered, now seeing the babies, not just the Quimbys, but also Laura Voight's baby Gavin, I mean seeing life now and new babies being born it is it's, it just balances it a little bit."

Laura Voigt lost her best friend, her sister Elly in the crash.

She and Jennifer Quimby were pregnant at the same time.

Laura Voigt: "Jen actually was probably the first person that I very deeply connected with of everybody in the families. We had our first long talk the day of the November (2009 memorial) service when they put the accounted remains to rest, and the thing that Jen shared with me that night -- and, I hope it's OK that I share this with people Jen -- was that she had a vision of her daddy kneeling next to his bed and praying for her to have a child and I remembered that for a long time after I talked to her. And when she shared that she was pregnant, and I shared that I was pregnant with her, you know I lost my only sister and one of the things that you lose is having children together. And I've gained a sister, with Jen, I really have."

Laura's mom, Marilyn has put together two weekend retreats for the women in the group.

Scott Brown: "Tell me why just the women?"

Marilyn Kausner: "Just women because women have a different bond, women grieve very differently than men do, we're talkers, we share our feelings. We cried and we laughed and it was one of the first times we really let go and it was okay to laugh together, so we formed some strong bonds that first weekend."

And those bonds have now extended to getting together for the holidays.

Tina Saniscalco: "When we come to holidays, or we come against an anniversary, who do we want to be with? We want to be with our new family because we all get each other, we can feel however we want to feel, and it just feels good to be around everybody because we are all one."

Time and again, the family members came back to two themes: the support they receive from each other, and how they are free to be themselves, no matter what.

"You don't have to shield yourself, if you have to cry, we all know what it's about and you don't have to be strong in these group of people," said Robin Tolsma, whose husband Darren died in the crash.

"If I'm feeling bad or having a bad day, nobody is going to understand me except these people right here. If I want to text somebody, or call, or e-mail, I can do it, and not feel like I'm imposing, or they're saying 'oh no, it's her again,' not at all. I love all of them," said Justine Krasuski who lost her husband Jerry that night.

"Nobody in my family has lost a child, they don't understand. We have people in the 3407 family that know. When we get together, we can cry and laugh, and have broken hearts together," added John Kausner.

Bound together, and forever, by their loss.

"Because our loved ones all died together, we were bound right from that moment," said Susan Bourque, whose sister Beverly Eckert died in the crash.

"In a second they left together, and I just think there's some great significance to that and part of what binds us together," added Marilyn Kausner.

The seal of the United States contains the words "E Pluribus Unum," which means "out of many, one."

That motto also fits perfectly for the fifty families of Flight 3407, who now of out many, have become one.

"I think everybody would say that this is the beautiful miracle that was born out of the worst thing that has ever happened to any of us," said Laura Voigt.