Home Struck by Lightning & Burned to the Ground

It wasn’t until my dad, Jim Kelly, heard the fire alarms blaring that he woke up to his house engulfed in flames. His house had been struck by lightening, ensuing a fire so fast the alarms barely had time to serve their purpose. After running out of the house with nothing but the clothes on his back, he watched as our family home, the porch he loved and spent most of his time on, and all their belongings, burn down to the frame. Not even the cars survived. The same house he spent power washing and replacing old stair steps just last weekend. The same house that has hosted community neighborhood food truck events and birthday celebrations for too many to count. The same house that had a place for whoever needed one, no questions asked. The same house that was home to my sister, whose bedroom he watched collapse to the first floor only moments after getting out. By some miracle, my sister thankfully had flown out of town that morning. Because of where the strike occurred, it’s likely she would not have survived it. Unfortunately, as firefighters arrived, the two family cats, Bailey (13) and Mocha (2), likely scattered to hide from the sound of blast, and were unable to be rescued. If you’re lucky enough to know my dad and sister, you know how unfair this is. If you know my dad, you know he is the most amazing man on the planet. He never hesitates to donate to any cause of someone in need or to help out a friend with a project. He is a gentle, kind man who believes that finding pennies is good luck from Heaven. He is a chef, always opening his home to bring people together around his favorite Italian recipe. He is a friend to everyone, and a chosen family member to many. He is now forced to let go of 10 years worth of blood, sweat, and tears that he has been putting into making this house his dream house, one coat of paint and renovation at a time. My sister is only a semester away from graduating from school. She has spent the last two years at the top of her class working 12-14 hour school days to master the special equipment required for her degree while still somehow finding time to work and volunteer. Now all her notes, supplies, and special equipment needed to finish her degree are left as a pile of ashes. In just the span of one year, she will now have had to undergo open heart surgery, push back her graduation date, rebuild her life, and worst of all: mourn the loss of her partner in crime and registered emotional support animal, Mocha Moo. Mocha and Bailey are greeted in Heaven by the family beagle, Oscar, whom we lost late last year. My family has seen enough tragedy now to last a lifetime, and they’re at a loss of how to move forward. My goal is to raise enough money to replace the basic necessities to live and hopefully make a small part of this tragic event easier. On behalf of my dad and sister, who are known for being two of the most generous, charitable, and dependable people to exist, I ask you to consider donating to help them rebuild their lives or sharing their story.