Hi my name is Mikayla Wales and I am fundraising for my sister who’s apartment was involved in the Waltham fires on Thanksgiving night.

My sister is a sophomore at Regis College studying sonography. She worked hard to get her apartment set up and is devastated.

Thankfully she was home during the incident however most of her stuff was ruined from water and smoke damage. Which included all of her clothes and furniture. Her school books and work for classes were also destroyed where finals are coming up.

Her apartment has since been deemed inhabitable and will need to find a new place to live. This money will be used to help her replace belongings, get her clothing professionally washed to remove smoke residue and secure a new apartment.

Statement from Katelynn:

hi everyone. as some of you may have heard, i lost my apartment this past week when it caught on fire Thanksgiving night. it’s been an incredibly overwhelming past few days so i apologize if i haven’t been responding to messages.

i am so thankful to my family for dropping everything and helping me in their own unique ways. i am also incredibly thankful for the waltham fire department for their speedy response time. if you’ve seen the videos, you know it could’ve been worse. i am also so thankful for the local Red Cross chapter that froze their butts off while setting me and my fellow neighbors up with resources. i also wanna shoutout my best friend, cammie, because without her i would not nearly be as optimistic as i am.

the timing of this was pretty unfortunate as i start finals preparations tomorrow. i also just moved into this apartment in august, so i haven’t had adequate time to replenish my savings. if you’ve ever looked for an apartment in the Boston area, you know how difficult the process is. not only is there a short supply (leases typically extend from Sep-Aug due to the high level of students in the area), the supply is more expensive than when i last searched. most places require 3-4x rent in order to move in. first month, last month, security, and in some cases a brokers fee, each equal to one months rent. if i look for a bedroom (sharing a 4-5bd apartment with others) at $1000 a month (going rate in the area), this can easily be $3-4k to move in.

and while i’m lucky that most of my big items are in decent condition, most of the items in my room, kitchen, and bathroom are smoke damaged. i’m crossing my fingers a good soak in vinegar and baking soda will ease the smell (if you have any tips please let me know!!), but if that doesn’t work i may have to get them professionally cleaned or replaced. last, my items for school are mildly damaged, due to water damage. while some are salvageable, there are some soft cover textbooks that need to be replaced. there are also a few things i haven’t thoroughly checked the condition yet as i haven’t had time (my tv, laptop, iPad). i also had to place some items in a storage locker.

overall, i am incredibly lucky compared to my upstairs neighbors who have total losses but as a full time student who tries their best to make 20 hours a week, i am very limited on funds. my lovely sister set up a place to donate if you are able to spare anything. if you are looking to donate anywhere else, please support the Massachusetts chapter of the American Red Cross. i am unaware of any direct support to my neighbors at this moment.

this whole experience has been incredibly humbling and makes me realize how close i was to being homeless. if i did not have supportive family members and friends, i would be in a shelter alone. and that is a reality for many people. it really put things into perspective to me. so please, hold your loved ones tight, show kindness to those less fortunate than you, change your smoke detector batteries, and get renters insurance.