Help Liam Underhill Recover from Burns & Rebuild with Kelly

Donate to help Liam Underhill recover from burns and to help Kelly and Claire Collinson rebuild after devastating fire

On July 25, 2025, a devastating fire tore through Lakeshore Villas in Port Ewen, NY. The headline read:

“1 hospitalized, 13 injured in apartment fire.”

The person hospitalized is our dear friend Liam Underhill.

Liam was home alone when the flames spread rapidly through their building. With no safe way out, Liam jumped from a second-story window after sustaining severe third-degree burns to his hands and body.

His partner, Kelly Collinson, and her mother Claire—who has mobility challenges—were not home at the time. Their absence was a miracle in itself. Fire teams from five local departments worked tirelessly for five hours to contain what could have been an even larger tragedy.

Liam was first taken to HealthAlliance Hospital (formerly Benedictine) in Kingston, then rushed overnight to a critical burn unit in Westchester Medical Center, with his mother Sarah Underhill by his side. He’s now in stable condition—but faces a long, painful recovery ahead.

On top of the trauma, Liam, Kelly, and Claire lost everything—their home, clothes, tools, furniture, and every comfort of life they’d built. They are starting over from scratch.

How Your Donation Helps Them Today:

Every dollar helps ease the burden. Your donation will help them create a new home from scratch:

Losing everything is beyond imaginable, but there is a way to rebuild—with support.

Please give what you can, today.

From the Organizer:

I’ve known both Liam and Kelly for well over a decade, and it’s honestly hard to describe how rare it is to meet people as openhearted, kind, and humble as they are.

Liam and I grew up in Kerhonkson, NY. His sister Rebekah has been my closest friend since we met at Rondout Valley High—and since then, the Underhills have become my chosen family.

They’ve shown up for my family in tough times, and I’m starting this campaign so that all of us—friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, musicians, community folks—don’t miss our chance to show up for them.

The Underhills are loved throughout the Hudson Valley’s creative and activist communities: from the Hudson River estuary revival project, to Irish folk music and dance, the Ulster County Democrats, and all the local farm stops in between. If you've ever danced with them, sung with them, organized with them—you know their magic.

If you've ever been on a hike with Liam, he may have surprised you: scrambling up the tallest tree without a pause, or cliff-jumping where nobody else would. Who would have thought that his courage would end up being tested like this? And aren't we lucky that his gentle nature is matched with such bravery.

Kelly and Claire are the kind of people who show up, who give without being asked, and who hold space for others in their hardest moments. Kelly worked at the High Falls Food Co-op on and off for 10 years and is an incredible massage therapist whose healing hands have helped so many in our community.

Claire is a nurse who has dedicated her life to caring for others, through VNA nursing for 30 years and was a hospice nurse for 10 years and now helping people receive the home health services they need. They are the most kind, generous, compassionate, loving people.

There are so many people in my extended community who love Liam and Kelly—and I hope this campaign reaches them quickly, so we can rally support for them and for Claire as they rebuild a safe and comfortable life.

Thank you for anything you can give, and for sharing this with those you know who love them, too.

– Roxy Pomerantz

Please spread the word❤️

If you can’t donate, please share this link on social media, by text, or with any of your groups. Let’s make sure no one who cares about Liam, Kelly, or Claire misses the chance to show up.