Help Palisades Fire Victim Natalie Dempsey!

Natalie Dempsey lost her business, The Cottage Spa & Boutique (located on Via De La Paz), and her residence (a rental apartment) in the Pacific Palisades Fire on Tuesday January 7, 2025.

Natalie believed she had comprehensive insurance on both her business and her rental apartment. As reported in Newsweek’s “These California Insurers Cut Policies Before Devastating Wildfires” (9 Jan. 25) and CBS Moneywatch’s “Thousands of Los Angeles Homeowners Were Dropped by Their Insurers before the Palisades Fire” (9 Jan. 25), thousands of LA residents discovered after the fire that their insurers had cut or reduced their policies. After her losses, Natalie learned that she only had workers’ compensation coverage for The Cottage Spa and nominal coverage for her rental apartment. Everything she’s worked for is gone.

In The Palisades News, The Cottage Spa had been voted runner up for Best Medical/Day Spa in the “Best of Pacific Palisades 2024” contest, an incredible achievement given how small Natalie’s spa was in comparison to the others and given that she’d only owned the spa since Sept. 2022. Born to a 19-year-old single mom, Natalie has never forgotten those early years when they scraped by. The Cottage Spa was evidence of years of hard work: her dream realized. Until it turned to ashes.

That terrible day, Natalie drove to her apartment to try to save her grandmother’s paintings, her grandparents’ wedding photos, the stained-glass lamp she’d made—all one-of-a-kind precious items. But she quickly had to flee due to the thickening smoke. In the end, she made it out with her life, for which her family and friends will always be grateful, but she couldn’t save much of anything else.

I am a dear friend of Natalie’s mother (who has been swamped with medical bills due to a rare cancer), and I created this GoFundMe page with permission from Natalie and her family. Please donate any amount you can to help her. All funds will be spent on relief from fire losses.

Natalie has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love she has received from friends and family. She is incredibly thankful to have this amazing community. On behalf of the family, we thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Liz Lundberg

Iowa City, IA