Celebrities take up cause of paralyzed Houston brothers

DALLAS (Reuters) - When two Houston brothers were orphaned and paralyzed in a car crash that left their sister with a collection of broken bones, attention from celebrities including pop star Justin Bieber triggered an outpouring of support.

Fund-raising efforts for the long-term care of the children took off -- raising $100,000 since Wednesday -- and other notable celebrities followed Bieber onto the case, including Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and Ellen DeGeneres.

Joshua Berry and his wife Robin were killed when their van was struck by an oncoming vehicle in Texas as they drove home to Houston from Colorado over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Their three children survived but the two boys, 9-year-old Peter and 8-year-old Aaron, were paralyzed from the waist down from spinal cord injuries and are currently receiving rehabilitation in a Chicago hospital.

Their 6-year-old sister Willa suffered broken bones but her injuries were not as severe. She is staying with friends in Houston.

For weeks, humble but effective bake sales, lemonade stands and benefits from friends raised about $200,000 for the children's medical care, while a Facebook page generated attention and kept well-wishers informed.

Bieber's involvement -- a family member knows the popular singer -- helped the effort explode, triggered by the "Show Your Hearts" website launched this week. Fund-raising efforts will benefit the Joshua and Robin Berry Children's Trust.

The speed by which the aid efforts permeated pop culture has stunned Matt Berry, the children's uncle and guardian, whose brother Joshua died in the accident.

"This is uncharted territory for our family," Berry said. "While the attention makes you feel a little uncomfortable, you know why it touches people. If the kids did not have these injuries, you wouldn't be hearing about it."

The celebrities' direct online appeal to fans featured messages like this from Lady Gaga's official site: "Monsters: There are orphans that need our help. A tragic story that left them paralyzed."

The campaign encourages supporters to donate. Those who give a minimum of $10 receive a special avatar that can be displayed on Twitter or Facebook and features two hands making a heart shape.

"Change your profile picture today & make sure to #showyourhearts," Spears told Twitter followers, showing a photo of herself making the heart shape with her hands.

In an e-mail to the family, Bieber wrote: "It is a really sad story, but this is an opportunity for me and my friends to do something good for others."

(Editing by Cynthia Johnston)