Some of these parents were already in their fifties, with visible white hair and faint wrinkles on their faces as a result of the passage of time.
They huddled together, their cries echoing, heartbreaking enough to make anyone want to cry with them.
Serene Crisp nestled in her mother's arms, her hands wrapped around her mother's waist, tears streaming down her face, wetting her mother's clothes.
Her eyes were bloodshot, her voice hoarse, "Mom, mom, mom..."
She didn't say anything else, just kept calling for her mom over and over again.
Mrs. Crisp's emotions were stirred, and tears swirled in her eyes, blurring her vision.
She stretched out her hand to caress her daughter's pale, haggard face, her lips quivering, "Mom's here, mom's here, don't be afraid, mom's here to take you home, I'll be with you all the time."