The Barela Family House Fire

Hello! I'm Connie Barela's sister, Michelle. I am raising money to help support my sister and her family after losing their home and cars to a devastating fire on Tuesday, July 12th. This family is one of the most giving of families; my sister would give the shirt off her back if you needed it. Her home has always been the one that everyone would gather at for holidays or birthdays. Her dedication to ensuring the gatherings were the best for her kids was one of her top priorities, utilizing every resource possible. Her ability to make something out of nothing never ceases to amaze me.

A little back story: Over the past year, my sister and her husband have taken custody of two of their grandchildren, Jack (3) and Ethan (1) - current ages. Unfortunately, the children had been removed from their parent's home due to drug addictions when the children were born. Instead of having the children end up in foster care, my sister and brother-in-law have taken in the children. For the past year, they have completed every course and requirement needed to become the children's foster parents (a necessity in the State of Texas when CPS is involved). Once the foster parent license is obtained, they can file for the children's adoption. The foster license was just approved last month, and adoption is underway (it should be finalized within the next month or so).

In addition to caring for the children over the past year, my sister had to undergo a full hysterectomy last month with a follow-up surgery needed just this past Monday. During her recovery, I've had the honor of helping her during the workday with the children and have gotten even closer to my sister in the process. She's one of the best people I know - constantly doing for her family - even going beyond her means to make it happen for others.

Luckily, Manuel (my brother-in-law) woke around 5am to an odd "popping" sound coming from the kitchen (the smoke alarms had not started ringing yet). At first, he thought it was my sister putzing around in the kitchen or even little Jack playing (he's a very early riser, so this wouldn't be a surprise). However, after being unable to reconcile the sound, Manuel threw on his robe and headed out to the kitchen to see what it was. That's when he saw the back door curtain with flames coming out of the top, and he sprang into action. Running back into Jack's bedroom and getting him up and out of bed, then ran to my sister's room to get her and Ethan out of bed. They all ran outside and saw that the entire back porch was lit on fire. My sister ran back into the house after getting the kids out to try and locate one of their cell phones, but unfortunately, the house had become full of black smoke, and she had to feel her way back out - getting her hair singed in the process.

Once they got 911 called, it took 45 minutes for the volunteer fire department to get to their house, and by that time, it was completely engulfed in flames - a total loss.

Some items lost were the kid's toys, clothing, shoes, highchair, playpens, etc. My sister's and husband's belongings included antiques that my sister inherited from her grandmother and auntie and much of my mother's belongings after she passed three years ago. These things are irreplaceable, but I'd love to be able to help her family get back on their feet by creating this fundraiser for them to be able to replace some of their essentials.

Any funds donated will go directly to the Barela family so they can begin replacing clothing, furniture, cell phones, cars (as both were lost to the fire), etc. Unfortunately, while donations won't help replace those items of sentimental value, they will go a long way to helping the family regain their feet. Anything that you can give will be very much appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read this story and for considering donating. God Bless!