Two days ago, my mom Michelle Carney lost her home in Pelahatchie, Mississippi, to a devastating house fire.

A battery she was charging appears to have exploded while she was out of the room. The fire spread quickly, destroying the house and nearly everything inside. Thankfully, my mom was able to escape safely with her dog. We are still searching and hoping for news about her two cats, who have not yet been found.

Right now, she is safe, but she is having to figure out how to rebuild her life essentially from scratch.

This wasn't only her home. My mom is an artist and small-business owner, and much of the equipment, materials, inventory, supplies, and other things she used for her Etsy business were inside the house. She also lost the ordinary things that make up a life: clothing, furniture, household items, personal belongings, and years of things that simply cannot all be replaced.

She did have insurance on the house itself, but the contents of the home were not covered. That means the enormous loss of her personal belongings, art equipment, Etsy inventory, business supplies, furniture, clothing, and household necessities will largely fall on her to replace.

There is also still a mortgage on the property, so even the insurance payout on the house will not simply translate into money available to rebuild her life.

We're raising money to give her some breathing room while she gets through the immediate aftermath and begins figuring out what comes next.

Donations will help with temporary living expenses, clothing and basic necessities, replacing essential household items, costs associated with the property and recovery, and eventually helping her replace the equipment, materials, and supplies she needs to begin earning income through her art and Etsy business again.

This happened incredibly fast, and I think all of us, especially my mom, are still processing the fact that the home and life she had a few days ago are suddenly gone.

If you're able to help financially, thank you. If you can't donate, sharing this fundraiser is just as appreciated. We will continue updating this page as we learn more about the recovery process, her cats, and what she needs next.

Thank you for helping my mom get back on her feet.