Hello, I am Karina Groethe a.k.a. Auntie and on October 9th my Niece Sylvia and Nephew Jaxon’s home caught fire. Luckily there was no one home, however the home was a complete loss. A little background of the year so far for Sylvia and Jaxon. On May 14th while my sister Emily and I were home I woke up to her calling my name, she was having a panic attack that had caused her to have a severe asthma attack. I called 911 and shortly after her heart stopped. The EMTs arrived and she was life flighted, but she did not survive and on May 17th she was pronounced dead. The following day her children and other family members said good bye to her during her honor walk as an organ donor. She saved 4 lives and donated one lung to covid-19 research which will be instrumental in saving countless lives in the future. The ensuing months resulted in my having to move back to North Dakota and the kids moving in full time with their dad, and being so close to the kids, this was a very difficult transition for the 3 of us.

Fast forward to this past Saturday. It was my nephew’s 12th birthday and he watched the OU game with his dad’s family and then the kids went to my mom’s to celebrate his birthday and spend the night. Late that night we got a call that the home that they share with their dad was on fire. By the time their dad arrived on the scene the home was a complete loss.

Sylvia is in Band/Marching Band and FCCLA and Jaxon is in Football. They are wonderful kids who are very active in school and good students. They have lost so much this year. We started off with an Amazon wishlist however the kids are overwhelmed and it is proving to be difficult to know where to start because so much of what they owned was from birthday or Christmas presents. We are asking for $1000 to get them clothes and to help with any any school expenses that may arise. Sylvia had a duffel bag she brought with her that night so she has a couple of outfits. Jaxon went over to my moms with only the clothes on his back, his brother did go and pick him up a few things but winter is around the corner and they will need coats, shoes and other items. They lost everything that a normal teen owns. Many personal items, electronic devices, backpacks, etc. My sister’s kids are absolutely wonderful individuals and the loss of their mom, who adored them, has been devastating, Now to experience this loss as well, and just before the holiday season begins, is shocking.

My dad retired as a result of my sisters passing and I have taken a large pay cut due to job change or we would take care of all of these things. I wish we could do more. Any help you can provide for the kids will mean the world to them and I know that it would mean the world to my sister. The pic I am sharing is of them with Emily when they were younger to give them a little privacy, and because as she would say, they will always be her babies. Thank you!❤️