Help Sadie & Tom Rebuild After Devastating Fire

Dear Friends, Family, and Kind Supporters,

As many of you may know, a few weeks ago, on the Fourth of July, a devastating fire totaled the other half of the duplex where my niece, Sadie, lives in PA with her husband Tom and their daughter Pearl, who turns 3 in August. Luckily, they were not home, no one was injured, and their pets all survived. The fire spread to their shared porch; the full damage is still unknown as demolition of shared structures will need to be coordinated with both owners. The pervasive smoke damage, however, has made their home completely uninhabitable. As they started to navigate the road to recovery, it became clear very quickly just how long, complicated, costly, and unpredictable this is going to be.

The family has moved to their second hotel where they will live until the end of October, at a minimum. All of their clothes, bedding, towels, coats, anything that absorbs smoke, like stuffed animals and pillows, cannot be salvaged, nor can large furniture like their sofa, fabric chairs, mattresses, and even box springs. Appliances and electronics, including the refrigerator, televisions, washer and dryer, air conditioner, etc., will all be removed and professionally cleaned, if they can be. They were told to expect that some things may not be able to be cleaned. The entire house requires professional cleaning and anything painted must be repainted, including walls, molding, ceilings, furniture, etc. The worst part of all is that Pearl lost everything in her brand new, purple, “Big-Girl Room” that she loved and had JUST moved into weeks prior; very little can be salvaged. But, the good thing is she is too young to fully understand everything going on and her parents are GREAT at keeping her life fun and as normal as it can be!

While insurance will cover the cost to clean and repair the damage, and even for the hotel for a while, it has become clear they are going to spend way more in the long run, and more than they have saved, just to try and get back to where they were before the fire. Insurance does pay to replace some items, but they depreciate them too; they will have to pick and choose what they will replace. They still need to pay the bills for the house they aren’t living in, have a huge increase in their gas consumption as they now drive way more each day between the hotel, daycare, and work, when they had finally been approved to work from home in May, and to their house to meet with workers and to care for their cats that are over an hour away. It is easy to see how emotionally and financially draining this is.

My niece is very kind, and also very proud. She is the first to help others, and the last to ask for help. I live far away in New Hampshire and unfortunately cannot be there to help her manage this day to day, like I wish I could. But, I can help by creating a way for family and friends who know and love this family to show them how much they are loved and how much we all care. This disaster, and the new challenges it seems to produce daily, is overwhelming to say the least! From replacing everyday necessities to addressing hidden costs associated with rebuilding this “vintage” home, it seems like every day is filled with unknown twists and turns that are physically stressful and financially devastating for Sadie & Tom. I know if my brother, John, were here, he would be doing everything he could to help his daughter through this. He would be micromanaging every step of the way, with love, of course :-) Unfortunately, Sadie has had to navigate this without his help, making it so much more difficult for her. So, I want to do everything I can to help her, even though I am far away.

More than anyone, I also know how tough it is for absolutely everyone to make ends meet right now. But, I also know any amount we can give, no matter how small, will be a BIG help to them, and greatly appreciated. And, I KNOW where any money will be used first! Undoubtedly, Pearl’s needs are their top priority; clothes, a new bed, and recreating her “Big-Girl” room are Sadie & Tom’s top priority! If everyone gives just a little, I know it will make a big difference and really help this family get back on their feet! Thank you in advance for any and all help you can provide.