I lost everything. I went to my aunt's, who is in her late 70s. She was unwell last night. I took my 3 kids and my dog with me to stay the night. I left everything: my purse, my medicine (I have life-threatening asthma), at the house. I left my kitties I rescued off the street. Kissed them and said I would be back in the morning... and at 5am I got a call from a neighbor saying my house was on fire. He was so happy I was alive with the kids. When I got there, the flames were rolling out. My house walls were collapsing. 6 hours later... my house is still burning. The basement is filled with 9ft of water. I lost my beloved cats, everything for my children, everything I've built for the last 5 years. I don't even have a coat at the moment.

I have lived in this house for 38 years, almost my entire life. I have been struggling as a single mom with 3 children to raise them by myself. I had been on access, but lost the food stamps because of the issues with my health and my children's health. The kids are always first, and that was what I was focusing on.

I lost more than just my house, I lost their future.

My aunt had lived in this house before. She raised me. When her husband died, she walked out the door and refused to come back. Her artwork, many of it award-winning pieces, is all gone. Everything I saved, from photos to my own artwork, is gone.

I am completely and utterly devastated From the loss of our house to the loss of my best friends and beloved cats. The pain I feel is unimaginable. Everything I have known or cared about is gone except my children and myself.