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In need of your prayers. Please.


jebbers

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Ok, I was sitting on the couch with my brother and his friend watching Blackhawk Down, when my sister comes down stairs and tell us my unlce's house is on fire. This was around 8:30pm. At first I didn't know what to think, the severity hadn't set in. So my sister and I go to the hospital to go check on our uncle and father. My dad got mixed in because for years he has been trained for situations like this. Well he had moved my cousins' car out of the way so it didn't catch fire. It was right out side the windows where the fire started. He had gotten winded from this and it also doesn't help he has bad breathing to begin with. Then my uncle tried to go back in the house a third time for the cats, but my father tackled him and fought to keep him out of the blaze. And my unlce isn't all that healthy either. While my unlce was in the house the second time he busted a window open with his fists and cut up his hand pretty bad.

 

It started with a candle. The candle caught a mesh canopy (like mosquito netting), the canopy fell on her bed and just engulfed her whole room. Everything she had worked so hard for in the past two years was destroyed in 30 seconds. My cousin and her mom tried to put the fire out with an extinguisher but it was 20 years old. It failed them. They ran out to a neighbors house and called 911. It was about 10:30 now.

 

Me and my sister were at the hospital waiting for our father to arrive via ambulance. When it did arrive me and the pastor from the Rez went out to help. My cousin and step-aunt were in with my father. The pastor took my cousin in and I took my step-aunt. While I was walking her in all she could say was "Where are my cats? You have to go back for them. Where are they?" My cousin was distraught over the fact that the fire started in her room. She blamed herself for it. I tried to comfort her by telling her it wasn't her fault. It was a complete accident. We took them in to see my uncle who ended up getting 16 stitches and almost severing a tendon in his finger. Both girls were covered in his blood. Both shivering and both mentally distant. My cousin and unlce got smoke inhalation. My father was just really winded. Around 11pm a police officer arrived and gave my step-aunt her pusre which survived the fire. He told my cousin and step-aunt that none of their 3 cats survived. They cried hard, and long. I tried to comfort them. A lady from the Red Cross showed up at the hospital and got them a hotel stay for 3 days and some money for new clothes and personal affects.

 

I left the hospital with my sister around 2:30am. Both my uncle and father got to go home. I got dropped off at my parents house. It's closer to my uncle's house. And this morning me and my dad went in to the house to find the bodies of the cats. Two were huddled together on a rug and the third was under my uncles' bed. Nothing could have been done to save them. We removed them from the house so my cousin, uncle and step-aunt don't see them. They asked about them and I told them "They are exactly how you remember them." Which was true. My parents and I took my cousin out to get clothes for them all. She was still distant. She walked around and just grabbed anything. We had to help her out with the selections. After all that was done we did some more errands for them. My cousin left with friends which is what she really needed.

 

They were floored by how many residents from the Rez were willing to help them out. My mom pulled strings and got them gift certificates to do their laundry, food from Bob Evans and Dunkin Donuts. Where my cousin worked people got donation buckets going. Since the most damage was done her. Her friends took her out shopping. Her boss gave her 300 dollars to spend for clothes and whatever else she might need. But right now all she needs is friends and time with her family. And her birthday is in a week. Some birthday.

 

 

Edit-This is what is left of my Cousin's room

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Wow... what's makes it worse is that this is the second person I know of who's house has caught on fire within the past 2 weeks. My good friend Nick lost everything when his house burnt down, including his mother.

 

It's a horrible thing to have to go through... You and your family will be in my prayers Jebbers.

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It's hard to know what to say in a situation like this. A horrible thing has happened, but it could have been so much worse. While it's sad to read of the fire and the death of the cats, it comes as a great relief to know that your cousin and her family are safe and alive. Property and even pets can be replaced; people can not. It's cool to hear how everyone is chipping in to help them.

 

God, I hope that that didn't sound insensitive because it wasn't meant to.

 

Best wishes for you and your family.

 

 

Sorry to hear about your friend's mom, Wally.:(

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Thank you all for the support. My cousin lost all her identification, cars keys, social security card, everything. I managed to find a few of her belongings that made it. They were trapped under a metal cabinet so they had a little singe to them. And she asked about her pet mouse(which also died). I found him entombed in his plastic cage, still intact. It had shrunk around him, preserving him inside. I took him along with the cats and buried them in the back field.

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Thank you all for the support. My cousin lost all her identification, cars keys, social security card, everything. I managed to find a few of her belongings that made it. They were trapped under a metal cabinet so they had a little singe to them. And she asked about her pet mouse(which also died). I found him entombed in his plastic cage, still intact. It had shrunk around him, preserving him inside. I took him along with the cats and buried them in the back field.

That's so sad. I hoe she gets back on her feet as soon as possible.

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Wow. There is never anything that could be said to make this better. One can never ever replace anything that is lost this way. Wally, I hope your friend realizes that his mom will never leave him. She will be with him, always (no cliche intended). Jebbers, as much as your Uncle, step-aunt, and cousin have lost, this is a chance for them to rebuild a new life. Prayers for all.

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  • 3 weeks later...

So, my uncle's benefit was tonight. It was a huge success! There were about 125+ items to be raffled off. Plenty of food and snacks. And lots and lots of people. I would have to estimate about 300+ people showed up to show their support. I was the announcers for the drawings. After all the prizes were raffled off I announced the drawing for the 50/50. The amount was about $170 dollars. My mom ended up winning it. People booed and said it was rigged. But it was said out of humor. We ended up raising around $5,500 for them! Plus what other personal donations people left for them. They had about $8,000 total by the end of the night. It is such a tragic accident that happened to them but it showed them the kindness of the Tuscarora Reservation. In times of need we put aside our squabbles and all pull together to help those in desperate need.

 

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The tables and tables of donations. With my uncle in the foreground and my grandmother in the back with the blue sweater.

 

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The massive amounts of peoples.

 

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And more peoples.

 

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My cousin is behind her friend in the green, and that's me with the beanie.

 

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And my cousin (leopard) and her friend (green). Yeah her friend is hot.

 

Sorry about the double post. Just wanted to let you know how it turned out.

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