<div>As the Elias family, our home had always been a personal symbol of tradition and a living incarnation of our love. It was our past. It was our present. It was supposed to be our future, but it was clear God and the universe had other plans waiting for us.
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<div>First bought in 1997, it was clear that my parents, Jose and Yadira, were going to make a seventy-two-year-old house in Altadena, California more than just walls and windows. They were going to make it something that’d be passed down generations.
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<div>Our home was supposed to be my sister, Suhey, and I’s (Rebecca Elias, who's writing this message) home for our future families and children. It was supposed to be our children’s home and their children’s home.
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<div>But it’s gone, like 90% percent of Altadena. Burned by fire and left as if nothing existed there in the first place.
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<div>The memories of birthday parties and first steps. The home-movies of our family decorating the inside of our home for every holiday; even though it was our mom who did most of the decorating and never had any trouble getting into the festive spirit.
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<div>Looking past the good, always came the bad. Our home was filled with the grief of losing beloved pets, loss of family members, and the heavy loss of our mom, Yadira.
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<div>Once my mom passed away, it felt like the spirit of the house evaporated on February 9th, 2019. Nothing was the same in the absence of our mom. She had always been the light and soul of our home, but without her, our family struggled to find our way again. We were stuck in a ditch.
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<div>But we still managed to pull through life. Our house lasted through two more fires and COVID, she stood strong and refused to be brought down.
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<div>She remained standing like our family, strong and resilient. Refusing to fall back and into the grief and ache of absence. Like now.
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<div>Our home burned on January 8th, 2025. Only eight days into the new year and it’s felt like we’ve lost everything, and in many ways, we have. Like many others, we’ve lost everything that once belonged to my mom and special memories we’d never be able to get back.
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<div>But there’s a bit of beauty that seems to shine through the haze of smoke and grim. My family is allowed to restore our memories. We’re allowed to find paths and create new memories, just like my mom intended it to be.
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<div>My family has come to the understanding that losing our home had been my mom’s goal and doing. To finally shed the last of her presence and start anew. We have been given the task to start over and find a way to live a new life, and it’s our responsibility to make sure we complete that task for her.
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<div>It had been my mom’s purpose and revelation in heaven, and now it must become our reality.
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<div>The Elias family consists of six members, Rebecca, Suhey, Jose, Daisy (dog), Lili (dog) and Harriet (turtle). We appreciate any and all donations made. Anything and everything in this emergency relief will go towards the personal loss of our home. Our safe haven.
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<div>We all find it hard to continue on during these times and moments of darkness, but we understand that we must. Not only for ourselves, but for friends and family. For our mom.
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<div>Most of Altadena may be gone, but that doesn’t mean that the Elias family will be so quick to leave once the smoke clears. Come hell or high water, the Elias family will continue to persist, like the sticker on my mom’s car, we will persist and grow stronger than before.
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<div>We will use our grief and despair to grow and find new paths in life. We will come out brighter on the other side. We will rebuild and persist.
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Maria Crespo

Anonymous

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Henry Oh

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Lucy Molina

Ariana Stamps

Derek Locklin

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Sekayi Slade

Charles Cui

Restore the Elias family home after devastating Eaton Fire.

Restore the Elias family home after devastating Eaton Fire.

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