Selena Gomez broke down during Tuesday’s celebrity telethon raising money for hurricane relief efforts while she remembered a family that drowned last month during Hurricane Irma, as their vain got swept away in the flood.

“August 27, seven members of the Saldivar family tried to escape the rising flood waters. Their van is swept into the bayou, only Sammy Saldivar manages to survive,” Selena said. “I come from Grand Prairie, about 250 miles away from the Saldivar’s home.”

She continued: “Their story affected all who heard it and, no matter who we are, the differences we have suddenly did not seem to matter. Since that day, we have joined together. Neighbor helping neighbor without stopping to think about race, religion, or anything else.”

The Saldivar family, via GoFundMe: