Help Hayley and Fiona rise from the ashes

Consider the unimaginable, if you will for just a few moments.  You fall asleep in the same bed, the same bedroom, the same place that has stacked up millions of minutes, hours and years. The place that holds precious memories in different shapes and sizes; your Grandmas wooden mezuzah, that she gave you when you first moved in, all your awards for work well executed,  and everything in between that grows from living your life.  In an instant, everything is gone, and nothing is familiar.

What do you do? What do you need?  What do you do first?  What do you do now....

You are about to meet such a person, and her sweet little Fiona.  

On September 29, 2020, Hayley was jarred awake by the screams of her fire alarm.  She could hear screaming from below.  She ran to her window, and  looking down to the street below, saw all the neighbors that lived in her building.  She opened her window a crack, and was met with screams from the neighbors  to get out, that the building was on fire. 

Hayley ran to her front door, opened it, and was confronted by all  consuming black thick smoke, and extreme heat.  

She was trapped. Her apartment was now engulfed in black smoke. She could not see beyond 5 inches from her nose.

She asked the neighbors if the fire department had been called. Yes, but no one answered.  They had in fact called 2 times without getting an answer. 

When 911 finally answered, it was within minutes that fire department  arrived.  A ladder was placed from the ground to Hayley's window. 

The fireman climbed up to her window, and with an axe, smashed the window, tore out the frame and yelled for Hayley to get on the ladder.  She did.  Barefoot, but at least dressed.

When she got to the ground, EMS was waiting for her.  She realized Fiona, her kitty, was still  up in the apartment.  Hayley was hysterical for the next 4 hours while the fireman put out the fire, and had to wait for the all clear to get back in her apartment and check on Fiona.

Thank god, Fiona was ok.  She was hiding deep in the back of Hayley's bedroom closet.  Hayley was given 2 minutes to gather Fiona and as many things as she could.

Collecting what her arms could carry, after Fiona was safe in her cat carrier, Hayley was given a debit card, and a ride to a near by hotel, where she spent the next few hours blowing black soot from her nose.  She went to the hospital and was diagnosed with mild smoke inhalation.   After spending 8 hours on 100% oxygen, she was released from the ER and went back to the hotel and has been there with Fiona ever since.

It will be several weeks before her apartment will be habitable.  Everything she owns has been damaged, and ruined by  black toxic smoke. The entire contents of her apartment must be replaced. All her clothes are ruined by black smoke and the stench of a toxic mix of retardants, and black soot.

Hayley is suffering from trauma.  She is too afraid to go back and live in the same building.  She has already found a new place to live.  She needs all kinds of resources to help her rebuild her life.

Anything you can contribute to help Hayley and Fiona rise from the ashes will be  deeply appreciated. 

Thank you, and God bless all of us!!

In gratitude,

Hayley's supports