House Fire Fund

February 8th, 2020 We lost everything to a fire that detroyed our home in Schererville. My ten year old daughter Paige was the hero of the day. Had it not been for her persistence in waking us up at the smoke odor she detected,things would have ended up much darker. what started as the almost non existent smell of something burning quickly progressed to a sinister haze across the apartment, and then turned into a thick blanket of smoke that rapidly depleted all the oxygen in the room, driving us outside to meet the arriving first responders. I jumped into my boots with no socks and no wallet,threw the girls into their coats and ushered them outside while a pajama-clad Ashley herded the dogs out the backdoor. We grabbed the rabbit cages and tossed them out onto the patio. Ashley then remembered to tell the firefighters about our neighbor's pregnant girlfriend who was home next door and began frantically banging on the door and ringing the bell until she came out. Thankfully we are all relatively well. The girls made it out without a scratch. Ashley was taken to the hospital briefly for smoke inhalation treatment. I myself was hacking and wheezing a bit afterwards as well but it seemed to pass. In what seemed like only minutes, I was sitting in my pickup with two rattled girls, three wimpering dogs and four rabbits with my wife in an ambulance while watching Schererville Fire Department chop a hole in the roof above our unit and blast water straigjt into our bedroomas smoke billowed out of all the windows. The firefighters on scene were outstanding. One guy actually ran back upstairs and retrieved my wallet and also brought down our sons's urn and memorial box that were on our nightstand. Ashley and I had owned the duplex since 2015, but had recently sold it to another couple and were temporarily renting back from them as tenants until we found a new home. unfortunately in the short tine as renters , we failed to procure renter's insurance while waiting for our agent to get back to us with a quote. Aside from the clothes on our backs and some items we had stored in the garage, we have essentially lost everything. Clothing, toys, furniture, instruments, you name it.... severely smoke damaged and soaked through by fire hoses. we also lost our saltwater fish. I don't think the reality has really hit yet. The girls keep asking where their toys are and I really don't know what to tell them. I just keep that it is just stuff that can be replaced, but our lives are irreplaceable. The craziest part is that all our belongings were packed up and ready to move. ...we were only six, yes SIX days away from moving when this happened! Ulgh. Regardless, I am eternally grateful that I still have my wife and girls here with me. Please say a prayer or two for us as we recover. Thank you my friends! This was set up at the request of our family and friends so they could help. We greatly appreciate anything anyone can help with monetary or not.