Sounds like a ticking, engine issue?!

My husband and myself were driving home from GA from visiting our family, half way home we were on the Interstate, heard something that kinda sounded like something got loose and was jumping around, well after we heard that noise, my husband said the car was pretty much shutting itself off. We had to pull it into a gas station really fast. For a while it wouldn't even start but it will start now... when we turn it over, all you hear is a loud ticking sound. A few mechanics (2) said that its the engine and needs to be entirely replaced... but a friend of ours that works on engines for a living said that it could have slung a rod, or be the timing.
Before we had this issue, we owned this car for all of a month.. I spent like 5 grand on it. Now the issue is we had no warranty (go figure..) We constantly saw the engine light on and the oil light. We would put oil in because the light was on, and it looked dry in there, yet the oil rod kept saying it was full and clean. (not sure if that has something to do with it...)
I have a baby coming in a few months, and 2 kids. I need my car.. we have no car and its driving me nuts. I need to know how I can get this van fixed. Could it be something in the engine that might be easier to fix, or do I really have to replace the entire engine?
https://www.facebook.com/Kitxtattoo/videos/10203911702903210/ Hopefully you can see the video.