Everything Lost My name is Chandra Smith. On the early morning of Sunday, July 30, 2024, my daughter’s Godparents were struck with a catastrophic house fire in which they lost everything. The great news is that everyone made it out safely. We are all so grateful for that. It was on that morning that my daughter awakened me with the words, “mommy Auntie Myrtha and Uncle Herbie’s house is on fire.” As I looked at the shadowed image standing at my bedroom door, the words hit hard. I wanted to pull the covers up over my head and go back to sleep. With Herbie still recovering from a broken hip and Myrtha having a heart condition, this is just not possible, I thought to myself. In total disbelief, I wanted a do over of that moment. I slowly looked up at my daughter and asked, “How do you know?” She stated, “Mimi (their daughter) just posted it on Instagram.” Later that evening while visiting them at the hotel, as I scrolled through Herbie’s phone, the photos of charred images of the house left me speechless. He shared his story in great detail: It was 1:00 in the morning when Myrtha and Herb were awakened by the sound of a bang. Already startled, Myrtha brought it to her husband’s attention that she smelled smoke. There came the sound of another bang. At a distance, it sounded as if someone yelled fire. Herbie quickly exited their bedroom. Following the smell of smoke, he opened the door to his daughter’s room only to be introduced to plumes of thick black smoke. Thankfully their daughter was not at home as the fire actually started in her room. They were both grateful for that. He yelled to his wife, “the fire is here, leave now.” They grabbed what they could and exited the home to safety. Standing outside along the curbside, they watched in horror as the flames tore through their home. On lookers stopped to take pictures and video of their tragedy, the moment when they lost all of their material and worldly things: the replaceable as well as the irreplaceable. The Fire Department determined that it was an electrical flash fire. As Herbie brought the story of their experience to a close, he leaned in and he said the unexpected, “We get a new beginning and I am grateful that we are all alive and uninjured.” I looked at Myrtha, who, with a bright smile, was in total agreement with his statement. Fighting back my own tears, I was in awe. I’ve always known that they both have a great spirit, but this…..? They see the good, even in such loss. This is just one of the reasons why I chose them to be my daughter’s Godparents. They are the kindest, most generous, caring people that you would ever want to meet. STATUS: The Red Cross will help to keep them afloat for three days only, after which they will be on their own. Both are seniors living on a fixed income. We are working to raise $15,000 to help them to start over. We are thankful and grateful for any amount given. We also ask you to keep both Herb, Myrtha and their family in your prayers.
Artículos relacionados
