Help Lucy F. Suppah Rebuild After Devastating House Fire

GoFundMe

Hello everyone, my name is Rosey Suppah and I have created this GoFundMe for my mother, Lucille “Longhouse Lucy” (Teeman) Suppah, 63, who lost her home to a fire. The tragedy occurred on Monday, September 2, 2024. Thankfully, everyone got out safely before most of the house burned down. My mom, my nephew Tony (17), my nephew Andrew (21) and his girlfriend, Fatima (21), resided in the home before the fire occurred. Pets include my mom’s min pin, Gigi, and other outdoor (“Rez”) dogs that my mom adopted from the neighborhood.

My mom called this residence on the Warm Springs Reservation her home for 30+ years, and it was lost within a matter of minutes. The fire is still currently being investigated. My mom was in the living room when she noticed that my nephew’s 2020 Chevy Silverado’s hood was on fire and quickly engulfing the truck. It was parked right in front of the home. She had to act fast and make sure that she, her dog, my nephew and his significant other, who were both sleeping, got out in time. The truck then exploded and the doors blew off, which ignited the home and the other car (a VW Passat) parked next to the truck.

There’s really no easy way to describe how devastating this is for all of us, but especially for my mom. She worked hard through most of her life to own her home. She desired and created a safe place to raise her children, and eventually grandchildren. Lucy is a very involved grandmother and now she no longer has a home for her grandkids to live, or come visit.

…

(Even though this picture was taken many years ago, I wanted to be able to show my mom with her grandchildren.)

…

The goals of raising funds are to:

* Replace clothing and hygiene products

* Purchase a reliable vehicle for my mom

* Possibly rent a storage unit for donated items and any item that may have safely survived the fire

* Finding a new (and hopefully, only temporary) place of residence

* Replace household items

* Help purchase dog food to keep the Rez dogs fed. My mom still visits daily to feed them.

* Get a dumpster to clean up what’s left

Lucy is currently staying in a motel in Madras, Oregon, which is 15 miles from the Reservation. Due to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs housing rules and stipulations, she is not eligible to get a senior home. She was placed on the waiting list for a home on the reservation, however, it’s hard to determine just how long that will take.

My mom has a long road ahead of her to replace what she built. There were many items in the home that aren’t replaceable, especially the traditional/cultural items. I’m hoping this GoFundMe will help with that first step in starting over and lessen the stress for my mother. I’m glad she is still here and that she’s letting me set this up for her.

Anyone who knows her, knows that she always tries to help others when she can. Now I am asking for the same for her. Even if you are unable to donate, I ask that you share this to help spread the word. Any type of donations can be discussed with myself or my mother.

If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read this. And thank you for helping in anyway that you can.

Respectfully,

Rosey, RN