On Sunday, April 5th, my dear friend and his family lived through a traumatic event so devastating it’s difficult to put into words. In a single afternoon, they lost every precious memory, every belonging that held their family’s story, and the roof that sheltered their family of seven. Their home, once filled with warmth, a lot of noise, and love was gone in moments.
They had been getting the children dressed, preparing to welcome loved ones for Easter. It was supposed to be a day of celebration. Friends arriving. Instead, the sharp, piercing cry of the smoke alarms shattered the calm. The children trained and instinctively aware were rushed outside. Steven stayed behind, trying to understand why the alarms were blaring. They had pre-heated the oven and naturally he thought to check there first but there was no smoke in the air.
As he moved through the house, searching room by room, he opened a bedroom door and, in that instant, everything changed. A violent backdraft exploded outward, a force and sound unlike anything he had ever experienced. Windows blew out. Heat and pressure surged past him. The house ignited with terrifying speed, as if it had been waiting for a single breath of air to erupt. Steven managed to escape, shaken and with minor cuts on his hands from shattered glass. He then stood watching the roof collapse.
They were blessed to have made it out before the fire consumed everything. Hearing him recount those moments, the confusion, the blast, the helplessness as flames overtook the home makes my heart sink. It’s impossible not to imagine the fear, the shock, the grief of watching your life burn while your children cling to you looking for answers.
The Le family living under that one roof; Steven, Mandy, their four young and beautiful children (Big brother Parker - 7yrs old, Sophie - 5yrs old, and the twins, Emma and Addison are 4yrs old), and their grandma are a family built on love, support, devotion, and utter resilience. And now, they are facing the unimaginable: rebuilding their lives from ashes.
As if that was enough, Steven was also displaced from his job just the week before. News he hadn’t shared with the kids in hopes of finding another position and sparing their emotions. No job and no home and emotionally devastated.
Within the walls they lived in, their pictures hung, drawings from the kids who took crayons and license to color on the walls are now all gone. Wedding photos, baby shoes, favorite stuffies and Mandy blankie that was passed down to Sophie are all gone. Precious keepsakes are tangible things that connected them to the past and made them who they are. I only hope that they can rebuild and quickly and start making new memories.
Please consider donating or sending your well wishes to Steven and Mandy so the wave of hope can continue to lift them up through this tragedy. Thank you for reading this because it means that you are now connected to them and their story.