Help the Ryerse family, after their devastating house fire

Grass fire sets home ablaze near Port Dover

Brantford Expositor Article above

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On April 10th 2024, the Ryerse's had a tragic house fire. The house belonged to Lloyd Ryerse and Melba Saarivirta-Ryerse, parents to Ariel, Eli, and Laura; this was their childhood home.

It was an unfortunate accident; a grass fire got out of control and set fire to the house, one of their vehicles, and a couple of storage sheds on their property, and unfortunately claimed the life of their family cat, Merlin. As you can see in the photos below, most of the house has completely burned down and all that's left of the structure is the shell of what used to be their kitchen.

This has been a devastating event for both Melba and Lloyd, who have been completely displaced by this event and now find themselves urgently needing to find more permanent housing and rapid replacement of essentials. They have lost absolutely everything, so funds will be going towards housing, furniture, appliances, clothing, medical equipment, replacing important documents, and so much more.

We're raising money to give them some support to get them back on their feet. Every little bit helps. If you can't donate, please share the link to the fundraiser, if you can.

And for anyone wondering who I am, my name is Julie MacDonald, and I have known this family for 25 years, Melba and Lloyd's daughter Laura has been my best friend since childhood. I have a lot of fond memories spending time with the Ryerse's in that very house. These guys are family to me and I'm happy to help them out however I can.

Thank you for your time!

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IMPORTANT UPDATE: Anyone who would prefer to make an in-person contribution to the fundraiser (rather than through the GoFundMe) can do so with Melanie Atkins at Urban Parisian in Port Dover. Mel will collect and keep track of donations for those who wish to drop-off instead.