Up In Smoke

On January 20th, 2023, the day started out like any other weekday for my friend Todd.

He fed his tortoise "Walter" like he did every morning of every day.

He looked after his friends dog "Kitty Kat" making sure she had food and water for the day. Kat's human has been in the hospital recovering from life saving surgery.

When it was the time for Todd to jump in the shower to get himself ready for the day & going to work, Todd's whole life as he knew it changed for him in an instant......

After receiving a call from  Todd's coworker, I raced to his home and was in complete shock at the devastation.

Todd's neighbors told me what hospital he was taken him to to be treated for smoke inhalation and that he almost lost his life when he had gone back in to try and save Kat, his friends dog.

As I entered his room at the hospital he was just laying there staring up at the ceiling,.

 I couldn't help but feel his despair and it was so hard for me to keep my composure when all I wanted to do was shed the tears that he wasn't allowing for himself.

Everything Todd had worked so hard for, for so long, went up in smoke in an instant.

His home, his work truck, most of his tools, all of his belongings. Everything was a complete loss.

His life as he knew it wiped out in a matter of moments.

Todd"a tortoise "Walter" perished in the fire and he doesn't know how he will be able to tell his friend Chris that the center of his world and the one thing that has kept him going, since the loss of his mom, has perished as well.

Todd is more concerned with the fact that he can no longer provide Chris a place where he can come home to after each chemo treatment that he begins on Monday rather than he, himself, having nowhere to live.

No one is exactly sure as to the origin of the fire, There was someone staying on Todd's closed in porch and it was possibly a blanket  that caught on fire because of it's location to the space heater being used.

Todd is one of those good guys, a friend that is always there for another and never says no to anyone.

Unfortunately Todd didn't have insurance on his home so, as his friend, I am reaching out on his behalf because the type of man he is, he will not.

If at all able, please help me to help my friend.........Todd  is an honest, hard working individual that I feel honored to know.

The type of person that if any one of you needed a helping hand, stranger or not, Todd would give you his last dollar if you were hungry, the shirt off his back if you were cold and if you were tired, a pillow to lay your head on while having you sleep on his couch.

I know times are tough for all of us these days but I'm praying that some of you are able to help my friend in rebuilding his life because he would you,

Know this about Todd.....Todd is the kind of man that whenever he is in a position to do so, he has and always does pay it forward.

Thank you for letting me share my friends story with you and those that are able, please help in giving Todd a hand up and those that aren't able, prayer means so much!

God bless!