With the Thrasher family’s full permission and approval of this story's content, this GoFundMe has been created to provide financial assistance to this Irvine, CA family. Their 55-year home has been condemned due to a severe rat infestation, leaving a 94-year-old disabled mother, her 63-year-old daughter, and the daughter’s disabled husband—who is a double amputee, blind in his left eye, and a severe diabetic—without a safe place to live, no clothing or shoes as they are in urgent need of support.

I'm sure many people have seen this video on your local news or social media as it went viral on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. I realize the news video is alarming, but I want to assure you this family has had their struggles, and as a community, we stand strongest when we lift one another up and offer help where it's needed most and approach each situation with compassion rather than judgment.

Sadly, social media has a wave of negative and misleading remarks, including speculation about how the infestation began and unwarranted blame directed toward the family during an already difficult time. Additionally, many people assume Irvine is uniformly wealthy, but even here, homelessness is a real problem and growing to include mental illness throughout our country.

This family never chose to live in these conditions. I have deep admiration for the daughter, Linda Thrasher-Steen, who has spent more than a decade single-handedly caring for her father—a Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant with dementia who served 2 tours in the Korean and Vietnam wars—along with her elderly mother and her double-amputee husband.

Just as the pandemic ended and taking care of a home full of disabled family members, exhausted, in 2023, within just 6 months, Linda lost her father, her aunt, her best friend, and even her beloved dog—all while continuing to care for her mother and husband without a single complaint.

We never truly see what people endure behind closed doors. We hope to treat them with the kindness their unseen struggles deserve, but in reality, we never do. Anxiety and depression had impacted the entire household, and they were barely surviving financially. They desperately needed assistance but were too embarrassed, with so much fear to disclose the severity of their struggles and living environment. The rat problem began in the attic but eventually, the rats found a way into the rest of the home. There were simply too many to control, and the family lived again in constant fear—hesitant to ask for help for fear of losing their home and being separated from one another. But they were relieved when the severity of their living conditions was finally discovered in late October.

Naturally, safety remains the number one priority and concern for the family and the surrounding community. The biggest challenge has been navigating the situation and addressing the extensive rat presence in the home and nearby properties. We are extremely grateful to the City of Irvine for stepping in and initiating the removal of the infestation. We are also deeply appreciative of Heather Goldfarb of Rodents Stop in Los Angeles, who will be conducting a complimentary thorough clearance and proper disposal of all household contents to prevent any risk of disease transmission and safeguard the health of everyone in and around the home.

If you feel moved to help, I’d like to invite you to contribute what you feel comfortable to a GoFundMe account that’s been set up for the Thrasher Family. Every dollar helps—whether it’s $5/$50/$500—you can be anonymous, with safe payment options as well. The aim is for us to come together and lighten this family’s burden, showing them they’re not alone and that our community cares. A trusted community member will be directing money to local housing so they can be in a safe environment and get all the necessary help, especially as we approach the Thanksgiving week.

Thank you, Community Member & Neighbor