Grateful but they lost everything in dad’s house fire

Around 1:00 am on Mother’s Day this past Sunday, my twins survived a house fire at their dad’s place. While Caden and their dad, Chris, were sleeping, Christian was thankfully (this time) still playing video games. A flicker of something in his periphery caught Christian’s attention and, upon checking it out, he saw the outside corner of the house was engulfed in flames. He yelled for his dad, which woke him and Caden up. Caden immediately called 911 from outside, beating the odds and escaping unharmed with all 4 pets. (Important to note: one dog kept running back inside the house to avoid the commotion - secure your pets safely away from the fire to avoid them going back to their ‘safe place’!)

Much gratitude has been practiced for their survival and safe escape, to say the least, and we all acknowledge the healing will take a lot of time from a trauma like this, but we are ready to face the rollercoaster of emotions that comes from this kind of tragic event.

While the insurance company is working on the claim, this will take a very long time for Chris’ mother, who owns the home, to receive a payout. All clothing and shoes are gone, furniture gone, all their stuff is gone. Same with their dad’s room.

Because of the quick actions of the kids, the rest of the home was unaffected by flames but has endured extensive smoke and water damage, and it will remain uninhabitable for at least 5 months.

I’m making this request to ease the burden of the losses the kids are grieving and hoping it will bring back some normalcy to the time they have while they are with their dad. If I could replace it myself, I would, but if you know me, then you know the situation. I will open a separate account to house the funds gathered here and allocate it for the kids’ needs there myself or use it to make the purchases myself and send them along with the boys when they visit.

Chris is not asking me to do this. I informed him I want to - for the kids, for their life to get back on track, to soften the trauma and loss, and to expedite the overall recovery. Chris needs to stay in a hotel for the next 5+ months until the home is repaired and deemed habitable again, and for the next couple of weeks, his money is going toward lodging only. He has a food stipend, and I’m seeking other charitable resources for him to pursue long-term.

If you’re able to contribute a little bit - any amount is thoroughly appreciated - the kids and I will work with you to find a way that would be meaningful for you as a token of appreciation… custom artwork, weeding your garden, a visit to your grandma, etc… should that be something you’d also appreciate. And don’t be hesitant about that part. I’m not asking for a straight-out donation for the kids - we would like to make this mutually beneficial and a lesson in community and kindness. Asking for help is nearly impossible for me… Receiving it is not easy for me either… but I do recognize and want to teach the twins from this event that giving can also heal hearts and build community. That’s the lesson I’m aiming to help them draw from this tragedy. Kind of like Mr. Rogers’ mother said to him when he’d see a disaster or something scary, “Look for the helpers. There will always be helpers.”

I appreciate you and your consideration. The contributions will go toward replacing clothing, sports equipment, picture frames, and posters of their admirable idols like Jordan and D. Rose (Caden’s favorite), Carmelo Anthony (Christian’s fave), and Walter Payton. Really stand-up role models on and off the court and field they aspire to emulate in morals, accomplishments, and service. I will also use it to contribute to their sports fees and new equipment for their sophomore year in the fall.