Support Stephanie, Daniel, & Lyra after Fire Evacuation

Hello friends, family, and the greater community,

My name is Dave Möschler from Oakland, CA. I am making this GoFundMe on behalf of two of my oldest and dearest friends, Stephanie Wilcox and Daniel Reano-Koven, who evacuated from their home last Tuesday night due to the Eaton fire in Altadena with their 2 year-old, Lyra, and beloved rescue dog Frida. Stephanie and Daniel have lived in the North Pasadena area since 2022 after putting their life savings into their dream home for their new baby. After years of struggling with recurrent pregnancy loss during the pandemic, this home was their fresh start, and the first place in LA that truly felt like home for them.

Although they are extremely grateful their house is one of those lucky to still be standing, the extensive smoke damage to the inside of the home means that they will have to live elsewhere while the decontamination of the neighborhood begins, and have yet to determine how long the restoration work on their home will last. Additionally, the beloved preschool Lyra attends - one of the only of its kind: an affordable, play-based, Spanish-immersion school - burned to the ground, leaving them without school/childcare in the area. It could be many months before they can safely move back home.

On top of that, (I'm not making this up) the day before the evacuation/fires began, Daniel was laid off from his job of seven years - ironically, a job where he specialized in emotional resilience and has spent years helping others recover in times of difficulty and grief. Couple that with a film industry that has been struggling for over a year due to the strikes, which has impacted Stephanie's work already for some time, and they find themselves in a very tough financial situation that will be difficult to recover from. Their hope is to return to the Pasadena/Altadena area as soon as they possibly can to pour themselves back into the community they love so dearly, and utilize their collective skill sets to help their neighbors and friends in the citywide recovery efforts.

My love for Stephanie and Daniel is boundless. They were two of the first people I met when I moved to California for grad school at UC Davis 18 years ago, and I don't know who I'd be if they hadn't come into my life. When I took a huge risk and moved across the country for grad school without knowing a single person, they took me in right away and have treated me like family ever since. It's impossible to quantify how much they've been there to help me through difficult times in my career, health, relationships, and all the adventures of life, and I would do anything for them. They care deeply about their communities and I want to help rebuild theirs.

Let's do what we can at this time to help Stephanie, Daniel, Lyra (and Frida) get back on their feet, and in turn get them in a position to help others they know who have lost so much. Please help in any way you can; no amount is too small or too large, truly. They are so grateful for their community and sending love to their many friends who have suffered so much from this catastrophic event. Thank you all for considering - they are so grateful for the many friends near and far who have been reaching out with messages of support.