I never thought Id say the things I am about to explain. As hesitant and scared as I am to be this vulnerable , I have to ask my community for help, not just for me but for my little boy , Avi. Two days ago, our lives changed forever. A devastating fire took everything from my family in the blink of an eye. My husband, my son, and I escaped with our lives, and for that I am incredibly grateful. But everything else is gone. Our home, our belongings, and the life we worked so hard to build disappeared overnight. It’s hard to put into words the shock and heartbreak of losing everything so suddenly.

God was very present in those moments, and I truly believe He allowed us to walk out of that building calmly and safely before the flames took over our home. We didn’t expect it to be so sudden. At first, when I opened the door to my apartment, I only saw thin smoke, but no flames, so I made the decision to evacuate with my pets, my son, and husband. By the time our feet touched the ground and we were cleared from the building, flames had already taken over our entire side of the staircase, then our home, and eventually the entire building making it impossible for anyone to get out if they hadn’t left when we did. For that, I thank God, because He gave us just enough time. From the small signs, like smelling something burning, to the faint screams outside, I believe HE himself, God, told me to “pay attention to this, leave.” He showed me the way.  Although I was underdressed, my son had everything on except his shoes - I put his sweater, his pants, and his socks just before I received those signs.  That alone reminds me how protected we were in the middle of such a traumatizing tragedy. 

What hurts the most is what my son lost. Every book we read together, every piece of clothing I carefully picked for him, every toy he loved, every picture, every tool that helped shape his childhood, including his pretend kitchen set his dad got him for Christmas - where he spent hours playing — all of it was taken. I lost not just physical items, but the memories I had saved for the future. As a parent, it’s devastating to know that everything I created for him, everything that made him feel safe and happy, is gone.

I am beyond thankful that we are alive and still have each other. This GoFundMe is for my son, to help rebuild his world and give him back some sense of normalcy, comfort, and joy. The funds will go toward replacing his clothes, books, toys, clothes, shoes and as well as towards rebuilding a home for our family. We are starting from scratch completely. We lost everything except the clothes on our back , and most importantly our lives.

Any support either through donations or even if it means just sharing our story and the presence and faithfulness of God - means more than I can express. Thank you for helping us take the first steps toward rebuilding our lives. 

Love Joy