My name is Lexi. Unfortunately Im fundraising because my apartment was destroyed by flooding after a fire in the unit above mine. The firefighters had to put it out, and all the sprinkler and hose runoff poured into my apartment — mixed with smoke, debris, and contamination from a unit that had ten cats.

I learned that water is classified as Category 3 black water, which means it’s considered grossly contaminated and unsafe. It contains chemicals from burned materials, soot and ash, bacteria, and even feces and urine from the animals. Once that kind of water touches porous things — clothes, bedding, furniture, rugs, shoes, or electronics — they’re considered unsalvageable and unsafe to keep.

I was asleep when the fire started. I woke up to chaos and ended up outside watching water pouring out of my patio door. When I got back inside, my apartment was full of firefighters, and water was absolutely pouring from the ceiling. I had to run around yanking plugs out of the walls and trying to grab what little I could — my important documents, computer, and electronics — before everything got drenched.

I don’t have many photos of the damage because at that point I was soaking wet, covered in contaminated water, and it was dark. I did manage to record a few short videos afterward, but it’s hard to show just how soaked and destroyed everything truly was.

My renters insurance is liability-only, so it doesn’t cover my belongings or a hotel stay. My apartment has now been deemed uninhabitable, and I’ll be forced to move. Management placed me in a hotel temporarily, but it’s extremely expensive, and I can’t afford to keep paying once their coverage ends.

I’ve been trying to work from the hotel with what little I have, but it’s extremely difficult. Losing my home hasn’t just taken away where I sleep — it’s also taken away my ability to work comfortably and consistently, which makes it even harder to recover financially.

I worked so hard for years to build up what I had. After finally finding stability and making it on my own, having the rug pulled out from under me like this has been absolutely devastating. I don’t really know anyone in my city, and I live across the country from my family, so I’m trying to handle everything completely on my own while doing my best to stay strong.

Right now, I’m trying to raise funds to cover:

• A safe place to stay until I can find a new home

• Replacing essentials like clothes, toiletries, and basic furniture

• Cleanup and moving costs

• A used car (I found some affordable ones on Facebook Marketplace) — something reliable enough to keep my things in, move between places, or even sleep in if it comes to that

Next time, I’ll read the fine print 100 times and make sure I have insurance that actually covers accidents caused by others. I just never expected to have everything I own destroyed because of somebody else’s mistake.

If you can donate — even a few dollars — or share this with others, it would mean more than I can say. Thank you for helping me get through this and rebuild from the ground up.