Help Selene and Her Son Rebuild After Fire

My name is Selene, and I am the single mother of an amazing 11-year-old boy, Liam. He is loving, bright, and has special needs. He has been working so hard to prepare for a new middle school that he is starting in just two weeks — an exciting but also challenging transition for him.

I am a real estate agent in New York, and on Friday morning, August 15, at 10 AM, I was showing an apartment in the same building where we lived. I stepped outside and noticed thick black smoke pouring from the roof. Liam was home in our apartment next door. I rushed back, and in those moments, the fire spread to our patio after an accumulated gas explosion from a neighbor’s apartment.

There was no time to grab anything. I screamed “Fire!” and ran with Liam and warned our neighbors as fire trucks arrived. The fire burned for nearly four hours. By the time it was over, our lives had changed completely:

Our apartment was destroyed, most of it burned beyond recognition.

Liam’s electronic drums, guitar, and keyboard — which he loved dearly — are unusable.

Our kitchen and living room were destroyed by water from the fire hoses.

The artwork I’ve been creating since I was five years old, spanning my life as a recognized artist, is gone forever.

And most painfully: there is no coming back to this home. The building must be completely rebuilt, and we have lost not only our belongings but also our place of stability and comfort.

My son and I were placed in a hotel provided by the Red Cross for the next couple days. We are safe, but we are starting again from nothing.

This fire didn’t only take our home — it also took my work. My main source of income comes from renting apartments in that building, but because of the damage, I won’t be able to do this for at least six months. As a real estate agent and a single mother, this leaves us in an extremely difficult position.

Still, I am grateful. Liam and I are alive, and I thank God for the firefighters who saved so many lives that day. But the road ahead is daunting, and I cannot do this alone.

How your donations will help us:

I have never been someone who asks for help easily, but today, I need to. If you are able to donate, please know it will go directly toward helping me and my son rebuild our lives. If you cannot give, even a small amount, sharing this campaign would mean so much.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping us through this difficult time.

With gratitude,

Selene