Our home has been destroyed by fire ...

Hi, my name is Kristina and I am fundraising for my parents Jack and Irina. Last year, I received news that my father was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I immediately moved in with my parents to help them. We entered the 2021 Christmas season believing it was going to be our last one together. Chemotherapy almost killed him. We had to stop chemo prematurely and fight the side effects which left him on oxygen and hardly mobile. At the beginning of 2022, several doctors told him he would “never make it off the table’ if he underwent the surgery to remove cancer. Miraculously, my father improved enough to undergo the extensive operation.

He is still recovering from that surgery which left him with heart problems and other debilitating conditions. This Christmas was going to be a very special Christmas celebrating our father being with us. We were looking forward to enjoying a peaceful 2022 Christmas together in our home.

On the night of December 8, I strung some lights on the Christmas tree. As I plugged them into the outlet, an arcing sound was heard from the back of the house and moments later, the same sound was heard in the front of the house. My mother immediately yelled that smoke was coming from the front of the house. The beginning of an electrical fire. We grabbed our dog Loki, called 911 and tried to contain the fire with a garden hose until the West Palm Beach Fire Department could arrive. (FD Case #22-028931)

My father, wearing only underwear and a pullover tee shirt, stood barefooted as we watched helplessly as our home was consumed by fire. The fire quickly spread to the garage, melting the front of his car which was parked on the driveway. 

The most tragic loss is that of our beloved cat, Kai. We had hoped he had found a secure area of safety. We were sickened as we watched our home burn not knowing what was happening to Kai. Adding to our broken hearts, the fire department later found him. He did not make it.

To compound the tragedy, to save money during my father’s illnesses, my parents had opted out of homeowners insurance. Herein lies our fear and desperation. Several contractors have stated it is a minimum of $150,000 to $200,000 to rebuild the infrastructure for which we are responsible. This, of course, does not cover our possessions or their restorations. Due to the soot contamination; we need to dispose of nearly everything.

My parents are trying to cope with the magnitude of the loss and the daunting tasks that we all must now face. Not only is our home not livable, but our car is a complete loss as well. The stress of finding affordable housing in this economy, along with replacing our car is compounding the stress of our family’s recovery. We are so grateful that we are safe as a family. Yet, we have suffered extreme loss and it is very challenging to see light in the darkness of this moment.

Thank you to all who understand and can help us in any way.

Kristina, Jack, Irina, Loki