Help Mindy Rebuild Her Home and Her Life in Altadena

I lived this beautiful dream for a moment. And I dared to settle in and accept my favorite place on earth, my only safe space, as mine. I grew to love Altadena and all the wild creatures just outside my door. And I cannot imagine our—all indoor creatures included—lives elsewhere. Our true family, our community is here. I’m broken and going through the motions each day.

Altadena is a post-apocalyptic burn zone you can’t comprehend until you’ve seen it in person. My grandmother’s ALF burned to the ground, as did nearly all of my friends’ and neighbors’ homes. “Mom” lost everything and after my dad’s sudden passing last September, the fire trauma is taking its toll on us both. 

Restaurants, shops, the hardware store, gas stations, public spaces, historic buildings—all ash. My home remains uninhabitable, surrounded by the rubble of my neighborhood and street. The wood beams  supporting my roof burned; a plexiglass window melted; glass doors cracked; solar panels fried; walls are smoke damaged, 1/2" of toxic ash covers my entire house and everything I own. I lost all electronics, clothing, furniture, appliances, books, etc to smoke damage. The stench is unreal. My house is so damaged it is unclear if my home needs to come down to the studs, foundation, or if everything is compromised. “Still standing” means little. What is clear is that I will not be able to go home anytime soon and it may be years.

Notices remain posted around the area regarding toxins & hazards. No one should enter without using full PPE—including NIOSH N95 or P100 respirators, goggles, gloves, booties, tyvek suits or other items to cover every inch of skin due to expected heavy metals, asbestos etc in the ash and VOCs (many items not measured in AQI) in the air. Initial testing inside my home shows >10x EPA allowed levels of lead contaminating my property.

I was sick for weeks following the fire with just 30 min smoke exposure. Even now, I cannot breathe in the area much less inside my own walls due to severe, obvious smoke damage. I leave with the area with headaches, body aches despite full PPE.  My cat has asthma and birds—including mine—have extremely delicate air sacs. Exposure could kill him.

Regardless of when SCE restores the electrical grid (they’ve cut lines and must now bury them), when my gas meter is reinstalled (currently still ripped out), when usable water (which is at continual risk of recontamination in the burn scar) flows, I cannot begin to restore/rebuild my home until the surrounding neighborhood is cleared of toxins that will continue to recontaminate the area. I also need the funds to even start planning and to survive until I can finally go home.

I’m not going home anytime soon.

The endless traumas and financial hits of surviving cancer, an adulthood of managing chronic health issues, education/training and early career, COVID as a hospitalist, moving and taking on an elderly loved one’s needs, recent extended loss of income with rising debt, two high speed collisions resulting in totaled cars and a head injury, deaths and loss, the unexpected expenses we all encounter… have been overwhelming. Yet I was certain, as a person with a skillset and stubbornness, everything was about to turn around. I’d finally pay down debt, commit to a forever job, and reach security I’ve never felt. I’ve done the seemingly impossible before.

But my life blew up on January 7, 2025. Nothing is normal. Nothing feels safe. I now have the equivalent of 2 full-time jobs outside of work in managing recovery. I’m doing this on my own and without the support net of savings, a partner or family who can help. Not even my career is secure at this point with healthcare having devolved into this American mess. (Though I am grateful for the wonderful per diem work I’ve found locally. This is the job to hang onto.) I was struggling pre-fire am now am afraid all of the time. At times, I’m completely paralyzed, overwhelmed with tasks and worry.

I've accepted that I simply cannot recover from this without help. I cannot do this alone. And the resources aren’t there. I was forced to buy California Fair Plan, as no one would insure my home. It won’t cover the full cost of rebuild much less remediating the property, replacing all of my personal contents, landscaping, fencing, or the ADU I’ll likely need to build to live in for a while. There’s no guarantee that they will provide what is owed. I’ve not seen a penny despite repeatedly hearing “total loss”—on personal property and even the “standing” house due to extent of fire and smoke – and am now facing needing to hire an insurance attorney.

To make matters worse, LA County marked my house as “no damage” preventing me from qualifying for grants. FEMA are not assisting with housing or other needs. A complex set of circumstances mean I cannot obtain SBA loans for rebuild, mitigation, or refinancing at a lower rate. Many of us are not getting mortgage relief despite what you hear. The most we are getting is a 4 month forbearance that will end in a balloon payment or principalized interest at the end. I will soon be paying rent on top of my mortgage. (Thank goodness for friends housing me at present.) And private student loans like all of my medical school debt get no relief in general. They didn’t care when I had cancer or made no money during residency and they don't care now.

I just want to go home—with Presley, Pye, Finch AND Katana—to make my property & community even more beautiful & safe for everyone. Your donations will help me rebuild my home and my life. Thank you for considering us. Every penny helps.