Laurie and Morgan's sweet blue house with the lush garden is always bustling with friends and family—kids playing in surprise summer rainstorms, deep conversations over the kitchen island, laughs in the studio surrounded by Laurie's art. Their home is truly a reflection of who they are as a family: welcoming and full of love.
Tragically, Laurie, Morgan, J (3), and their dog Jess have been forced to leave their home after an electrical fire caused massive damage. The scale of the loss is immense, and it's still not known how much—if anything—is salvageable. They will need all the support they can to rebuild, recover, and process.
Here's what we know so far:
- Everyone is safe and all immediate needs are met.
- The house is uninhabitable, likely for a year or more as they work with insurance to mitigate the damage, recover anything they can, and rebuild.
- Laurie's home studio was largely spared, though smoke damage and lack of electricity make it unusable, forcing her to cancel her first sale of the year. She doesn't know when she will be able to return to work.
- Everything in the studio, from work ready-to-ship to molds and tools, will need to be professionally cleaned or replaced to ensure it is safe for her to continue working in the space and share her art with the world. Insurance will not cover these business-related expenses.
How you can help:
- Laurie will need help with her income, the income for her assistant who is also a working artist, and the immediate expenses of re-establishing her studio—as she will likely not get a paycheck until the end of the summer.
Anything helps as they navigate the transitions ahead. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and we will provide any updates here as they work towards their next chapter as a family.