Sparks Christmas Eve Tragedy

Please help us support Ryan and Stephanie Sparks after their apartment caught fire this afternoon, Christmas Eve. They lost everything inside, and the apartment is a total loss. .

Ryan and Stephanie Sparks have 2 children, 7 year old Jozsef and 6 week old Dean. They were luckily not home when the fire broke out, but their two beloved family dogs were.

Lost in the fire was their beloved puppy Remy. Their other dog Lego, is currently fighting for his life in an oxygen chamber at a local veterinarian. At this point, he is expected to survive but will incur extensive medical expenses.

The fire is believed to have been started by the refrigerator that shorted out. All their possessions, Christmas gifts, clothes, new baby items from their recent baby shower, and everything to their name was lost.

Ryan is an 8 year Army veteran, and has served 2 tours of duty in Iraq as an infantryman with the 82nd Airborne. He has since started up a non profit, California Veterans Club, and has given of himself so freely to help other veterans make it through where medical and VA shortages fall short. He is very active in the local American Legion Chapter, supporting other veterans and their families. Ryan has been utilizing his GI bill and working on his college degree full time, while still working part time, running his non profit, taking excellent care of his wife and children, and is always there for anyone whenever they need him. He is looked up to by so many and now he is in need of our help.

Stephanie is a medical receptionist and scheduler at a Monterey physicians group. She was just a few weeks away from the end of her maternity leave and now must face going back to work with these circumstances. Stephanie is a very devoted mother and did everything to ensure these two boys had a beautiful Christmas.

They worked hard to provide a loving home for their family. All the ornaments on their tree were personally made and reflective of a special person or family event. Momentos of fallen soldiers, buddies of Ryan were all lost. This year was going to be the first year that Ryan and Stephanie were going to host Christmas for the entire family.

Local monetary donations can be dropped off at Tickle Me Pink in Salinas. Anything helps and every dollar is appreciated. At this point, please do not inundate them with gifts or clothes or other items. There is no place to put them. The immediate need is financial so they can purchase clothing for themselves and kids and begin to put their lives back together as soon as possible.

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