My son Justin Swendener and his fiancé experienced the worst day of their lives on July 31st. Within minutes, they lost their home, barn, vehicles, businesses, and unfortunately, their beloved pets. The loss of their pets would have been greater if it wasn’t for the heroic efforts of the firemen and women that saved as many as possible. They had a reptile business, and unfortunately, the reptiles perished in the fire, along with a lot of their equipment for their scale business.

We are all feeling the loss of the animals the most. But also, the home belonged to my children’s grandparents. This was their vacation and retirement home before they passed. So we have lost our memories and heirlooms. The memories will forever be with us, but there is no possible way to replace the heirlooms that my children thought they would pass down to their children.

We are eternally grateful for the firemen and women that fought so hard to save their home. We are also very thankful for all the support from family, friends, neighbors, community members, and even complete strangers.

We are asking for help with whatever possible. Every little bit will help them rebuild and start over their lives.

Thank you so much ❤️