Help Bob Rebuild After House Fire Tragedy

UPDATE 1/15/25:

My brother and I want to thank everyone that's donated so far. Sacha is home with us from the emergency vet, and has started eating, drinking, and using the bathroom normally again. His vet advised us that he will be clearing smoke out of his lungs for at least the next week. We have been able to set him up with a temporary home base at our house with a bed, flowing water fountain, food, and a litter box. There is unfortunately still no sign of Eli.

It will be another few days to a week before we are permitted to enter the house to see what we can salvage, if anything. An inspector is due to come this week to determine the exact cause of the fire.

Our father Bob is temporarily staying at the hotel where he works at. We are hoping to nail down a new place for him to stay this weekend. Once we get deposits taken care of and get him settled in, we will be able to focus on replacing his medical supplies and essentials, as well as furnishing the apartment. All funds raised here will be used to help offset those costs. Thank you again for sharing this on socials, donating, and for everyone who has reached out to us personally to check in.

My name is Liz Holland and my brother Jesse and I are seeking help for our 72 year old father Bob and his two cats, Sacha and Eli, who lost their home in a house fire in the early hours of January 7th, 2025.

My father, Bob Holland (or "Bobby Jay" as he was known in his youth) has worked incredibly hard his whole life, but has unfortunately faced tragedy after tragedy. Despite having Stage 4 COPD and struggling greatly to breathe on his own most days, he never misses a day of work. He has worked the overnight front desk shift at a hotel near his home for the last several years, and takes great pride in doing well at his job.

Our father also has two cats that are his entire world- Sacha, an asthmatic and very docile, loving tuxedo kitty, and Eli, a feisty gray and black striped hunter who darts out the front door the moment anyone leaves or enters, but always comes back.

While working his overnight shift at the hotel, his home caught fire in the early hours of Tuesday morning. While the exact cause of the fire is still being investigated, we do know that the fire originated in the bathroom and was likely electrical. We believe the fire may have been caused by a portable plug-in heater my father had purchased the day prior to keep his cats warm while he was away at work.

The local fire department worked to put out the fire quickly after receiving a call from a neighbor and were able to get Sacha out and transported to emergency care for smoke inhalation. Eli is missing- we believe he may have run out when the firefighters busted the front door down. Despite our best search efforts, we have been unable to find him thus far and are worried sick.

My father arrived back from his shift to discover he had lost his home. Everything to his name was inside of that house including medical supplies, his oxygen tank, keepsakes from the last 50+ years, his fur babies, and every essential.

My father has been working tirelessly for the last 5 years to be able to purchase that home, and gave us updates on the home buying process every time we visited. He desperately wanted to have something to leave to us for when he is no longer with us. My father is the type of man that even when he has nothing, he will give you the shirt off his back. He has the most giving spirit of anyone I've ever known, even when struggling to provide for himself.

We are so grateful that he is physically okay and that he was not at home when the fire sparked. He is devastated. We are currently searching for a new place for him to stay as well as replacing essentials such as clothing and toiletries. I am currently waiting tables and my brother is searching for work - we are in a spot where we are doing everything we can for him but are in need of resources. We so desperately want to give back to the man that has always given as much as he possibly can without question for as long as we've known him.

Our father has faced homelessness once before. At 72 years of age and in poor health, we just want him to be comfortable and have what he needs. Any funds raised will go towards replacing essentials, medical supplies, and finding him a new and safe place to live. They will also be used to support Sacha's continued care and search efforts for Eli.