Selene's Family Needs Help After Fire Tragedy

My name is Selene. On November 30th, I was home sick with my family. My daughter and her daughter were also sick. Right before noon, an electrical fire started in the wall of my bedroom. Unfortunately, I inhaled the smoke trying to find the source of the fire, which has made my respiratory infection worse. My family was blessed with getting out, and I have insurance, so I thought we would be okay. Apparently, that is not the case.

I lost the entire content of my bedroom. My family lost all food, both perishable and food in cabinets. My granddaughter, who turned 6 on December 2, lost all of her toys and books. We have no couches or beds now. No blankets and bedding. Apparently, I have to take a picture of every single item lost and have proof of purchase to be covered. My property management company has demanded we remove all of our belongings by Friday, December 6. That is just 6 days after the fire occurred. Because of the insurmountable timeline, we will have to throw most of our belongings out because we do not have time to sort through what might be salvageable.

As a fire burns it releases toxic particles into the air. They cover all surfaces and seep into porous objects. This makes plastics and soft surfaces like couches and beds unusable after a fire. These toxins can make you sick and even cause cancer. Children's toys and books are 100 percent thrown away because children touch everything and then touch their faces/mouths making them the most vulnerable of all.

The property manager keeps saying, "We want to get you back home by Christmas." What is the point when we have nothing to eat, sit on, sleep on, or celebrate the holiday in the traditional sense? Please do not for a moment think I am not first and foremost profoundly grateful that we are alive and physically okay.

But emotionally and mentally, we are not. I know I am reaching out to my fellow human beings at a time when so many of us clearly can't fathom how we will get by day to day. But I have to try this approach for my daughter, my granddaughter, my son-in-law, and my partner (he is such a gentle and kind soul, and it is breaking my heart to see him so distraught). Thank you for reading my story.