Please help Tay Mitchell and her family after losing their home to a fire on

Sunday morning. Tay has four kids - twin 12-year-olds, a 7-year-old and a 5-year-old.

A note from Tay:

"Early Sunday morning, I woke up to the sound of glass breaking in my house. At first, I thought someone was trying to break in… but instead, I woke up to a massive, roaring fire. I can’t put into words how terrifying that moment was, or how grateful I am to the people who showed up to help. Even now, I am still shaking and crying. It has taken me several days to even begin processing what happened, and it’s still hard to talk about.

By the grace of God, my four kids were spending the night at my mom’s house while I was recovering from surgery. That alone is something I will forever be thankful for.

Sadly, I did lose my precious mini dachshund, Pearl. She hid under the grill on the back porch when the fire broke out and became trapped. The firefighters were able to recover her so we could lay her to rest, and for that I am deeply grateful.

All of the other animals on the farm are shaken, but okay.

I still don’t know what caused the fire, but Fire Chief Tommy Jackson with the Cross Plains Fire Department said it was one of the biggest and hottest fires he has ever seen—reaching over 3,000 degrees and destroying everything in its path. Firefighters and tanker trucks came from Cross Plains, White House, Orlinda, Greenbrier, and Springfield. They worked tirelessly, lining my driveway with tankers that had to refill over and over before the flames were finally under control. They’ve even had to return multiple times this week as smaller fires reignited.

There is nothing that can prepare you for standing there helpless, watching your home—and everything in it—be destroyed.

What hurts the most isn’t just the house, new newly installed hardwood floors, the brand new kitchen appliances that had just been delivered, all new lighting still in boxes … it’s the irreplaceable things: the handmade Mother’s Day gifts, my children’s artwork, their first handprints, locks of hair, baby teeth, my wedding ring, baby books, old photos from before everything was digital, and the little notes that said “I love you” when they first learned to write. It’s a million tiny memories that can never be replaced.

It’s surreal to realize I made it out with only the clothes on my back… literally nothing else. My kids at least had some clothes and toys at my mom’s, and I’m so thankful for that. But starting over from nothing is truly eye-opening.

I am beyond grateful to be alive—especially knowing I probably shouldn’t be. Because I was recovering from surgery, I had taken medication to help me sleep. I woke up around 3:00 a.m. to take more and went back to sleep. By 4:30, the medication had fully kicked in. I truly don’t know how I woke up.

Please hug your family a little tighter. At the end of the day, they are all that truly matters.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you again to all of the brave men and women who came to help. I will never forget what you did for me."