Special ask, family lost everything

[begreen]

I have not been online for the past few days due to a family tragedy. My brother's North Carolina house caught fire and they barely escaped. My brother is in the Atlanta burn unit. He is in serious condition with burns on his face and hands and some in his lungs too. There is a possibility he had a heart attack due to the stress. We are standing by for more information. Right now they have him heavily sedated and are doing tests. My sister-in-law made it out faster and was treated overnight at the local hospital for smoke inhalation and some cuts she got while jumping out of a window. Her worse agony is that she heard her pets dying and could do nothing to save them. They have lost everything but the clothes they wore.

I have never done this before, but to help them out I started a GoFundMe campaign. If you can help a little, that would be great. Please share and pass the word around. Starting over in your 70s is not easy. And thanks to all that can help out.

https://gofund.me/e3e9ac3d

 

[clancey]

Your family and you are in my prayers...thanks for the address of the go fund....clancey

 

[bholler]

I will send something to go fund me but pm me what area they are in. I have some friends and family in NC who would help if they can.

 

[Dan Freeman]

My prayers and thoughts are with your brother and his family.

 

[PaulOinMA]

I will send something to go fund me but pm me what area they are in. I have some friends and family in NC who would help if they can.

Newspaper link through the above states Clarendon. It's west of Wilmington on the SC border.

 

[PaulOinMA]

Your brother looks a lot like a friend I grew up with in Huntington and still get together with for breakfast.

Meet the Brown Jacobson Plaintiffs Practice Group - Legal Professionals concentrating in Personal Injury, Workers' Compensation, and Employment Law

The Brown Jacobson Plaintiffs Practice Group is a group of legal professionals dedicated to representing individuals in personal injury, workers' compensation, and employment cases. The Plaintiffs Practice Group is led by Michael D. Colonese. Mike has worked as a trial lawyer for over 25 years...

ppg.brownjacobson.com

 

[peakbagger]

Sent one in

 

[begreen]

Sent one in

Thanks so much.

 

[begreen]

Your brother looks a lot like a friend I grew up with in Huntington and still get together with for breakfast.

Meet the Brown Jacobson Plaintiffs Practice Group - Legal Professionals concentrating in Personal Injury, Workers' Compensation, and Employment Law

The Brown Jacobson Plaintiffs Practice Group is a group of legal professionals dedicated to representing individuals in personal injury, workers' compensation, and employment cases. The Plaintiffs Practice Group is led by Michael D. Colonese. Mike has worked as a trial lawyer for over 25 years...

ppg.brownjacobson.com

That's funny. He is pretty much the opposite work-wise. He has been a blue-collar worker all his life.

 

[webfish]

So sorry to hear.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

Thank you for letting us know, Begreen. They are in our family’s prayers. Do they have any idea what may have caused the fire?

 

[semipro]

Having spent some time in a regional burn center myself this really got to me.
I'd endure it all over again if it meant I could save my pets though.
Them suffering without me being able to help is the stuff of nightmares.
This is one of those infrequent occasions when I wish I was financially well off.

 

[begreen]

Thank you for letting us know, Begreen. They are in our family’s prayers. Do they have any idea what may have caused the fire?

We're not sure yet. The damage is total and he is heavily sedated. My SIL was in another room.

 

[Solarguy3500]

Sorry to hear about this @begreen . Best wishes for your family in this difficult time.

I just made a donation. Only wish I could afford to do more.

 

[vinny11950]

Made a small donation.

Hoping for the best for your brother and his family.

 

[begreen]

Many thanks for all your good thoughts. My brother is having a rough time and the family really appreciates this outpouring of kindness. They are telling us it's going to be touch and go for a few days more due to multiple complications. I spoke with my SIL today. She is doing ok considering their losses. She was knocked on the head by the ceiling fan as the roof was collapsing. Fortunately in their bedroom the ceiling didn't completely cave in. I found out that my brother received his burns when he went back into the house and tried to rescue her. He didn't know that she had kicked out the bedroom window to escape. He too barely made it out, but in worse shape. They also lost a dog and two cats.

Cherish life, it is fragile.

 

[Dune]

Be Green; knee mail headed your way.
I happen to have a large warehouse full of used home good goods in North Carolina.
You family is welcome to all that want when they look to settle again .

 

[PaulOinMA]

Life if fragile. SIL passed away last month, 57. Healthy to end-stage home hospice in 6 months from unknown aggresive cancer.

 

[bigealta]

Sorry to hear this. Hope your Brother gets better soon. Made a small go fund me donation.

 

[Max W]

Man, it is so hard to feel helpless while seeing loved ones suffer. After reading of your brother’s love and courage I was glad to be able to send something.

 

[begreen]

Be Green; knee mail headed your way.
I happen to have a large warehouse full of used home good goods in North Carolina.
You family is welcome to all that want when they look to settle again .

Thanks for the generous offer. It may be months before they can consider rebuilding. We're told the recovery will be slow. The kindness of strangers brought my SIL to tears yesterday. She is so appreciative of all the support.

 

[clancey]

It's such a terrible tragedy and they will be facing this for some time and I pray that your brother gets fully recovered and this will take time...what a trip--terrible--prayers for them every day..clancey

 

[Dune]

Glad if I can held.
There is also a large apartment available if they need emergency shelter.

 

[begreen]

Thank you all again for your generous spirit. It means a lot. My brother is still in the ICU but his vitals are improving slowly. His O2 levels are coming back up. His eyes are opening, but no response yet. His wife will be arriving tomorrow now that the insurance adjuster has come and gone. They will be taking him off of sedatives now. We are hoping he will respond to her voice. She'll be staying with him for as long as it takes. Your generous contributions have allowed her to get clothes, a suitcase, and to pay for a nearby hotel and rental car during his recovery.

We still don't know the exact cause of the fire, but the adjuster guessed that my brother was cleaning car parts and the cleaning fluid ignited, then spilled under the refrigerator where the extinguisher could not reach it.

 

[all night moe]

Begreen, I am sorry to hear of this. When I was 9, my parents lost their house do to a grease fire on the kitchen stove. The flames quickly hit the old, very dry, pine cabinets on each side of the stove. Within a few minutes all the cabinets were burning. We lost everything but what we were wearing. Odd part is non off us thought off the garden hose just outside the back door. We had a 5 min window time of getting it under control. The human mind reacts so differently to high stress situations.

I'm currently financially in a bit of a slump. Slow work from being self employed, working outdoors, with these temps, has put me behind. As soon as I catch up with steady work, you have my solemn word, I will do my part.

I hope your brother continues to improve.