Family injured by plane crash in Reno celebrates Thanksgiving with gratitude in their hearts

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - It wasn’t the turkey or pie that made Thanksgiving so special this year.  The Elvins, instead, focused on enjoying each other and saying thank-you.

A family who has every right to be sad or angry this Thanksgiving holiday is, instead, overwhelmed by thankfulness.  Thursday, four survivors of September's Air Race crash in Reno, Nevada welcomed NBC Action News to their thanksgiving table.

Brian, Linda, Bill and Chuck Elvin have undergone multiple surgeries since the crash on Sept. 16.  Their right legs had to be amputated.

 All this happened as Bill and Brian learned their mother, Cherie, died in the crash.

Chuck Elvin explained, “I lost my wife but she's here."  The two were married for 52 years.

Linda Elvin, Chuck’s daughter-in-law, said, “She would have loved this. I know she's looking down on this right now and she's smiling."

The family gathered Thursday at the Mid-America Rehab Center in Overland Park.  The tables were set for 50 people.  Chuck’s mother, siblings and their families gathered with Cherie’s family for the holiday.

Chuck is still receiving treatment at the center.  Having Thanksgiving dinner there was the only way the family could be together.

Linda explained, “It's just a miracle that we're all four still here.”

Brian echoed, “Each of us has our own challenges but it helps to know that none of us are facing that alone."

Chuck calls it teamwork.  He said the four of them have encouraged each other to keep fighting, healing and learning.  Though, the encouragement isn’t limited to the survivors.  Chuck’s family of more than 50 people has all been integral in their successful recoveries.

Linda said confidently, “The bottom line is we're going to walk again."

Bill has three young boys.  He hopes they learn a life-long lesson from their dad’s recovery.  He explained, “You can overcome anything if you're just willing to work at it."

He says that reality was made possible by complete strangers in Reno.  “Those were the people who put tourniquet on our legs and literally saved our lives.” Bill explained, “We wouldn't be here to talk about it today if they hadn't been brave."

He and the others are thankful for the chance to live even after the crash took so much away from them. 

Bill said, “Thinking about my boys when I was lying there absolutely kept me wanting to live."

Brian said Thursday, the milestones used to be counted in hours, then days and now weeks.  He says the family is looking forward to Chuck being released from the full-time rehab center by Christmas.

We deeply regret mislabeling Brian and Bill Elvin in the original web story.  The family notified NBC Action News about the error and we have labeled the brothers correctly in the above web story.