Our family is absolutely heartbroken after losing everything in the recent Eaton Fire in Altadena, California.

For over 50 years, our home stood as a place of refuge and love. My Parents, now both in their 80s, migrated from the South in the 1960s in hopes of creating a better life for their four children. In 1970, they achieved their dream and purchased the home that would become the heart of our family. It was a proud accomplishment for them middle working class, humble people who valued faith, family, and hard work.

This house wasn’t just four walls, it held generations. My siblings, our children, and even great-grandchildren were raised here. It was filled with memories, laughter, celebrations, and traditions. It was more than a home, it was our legacy.

On the night of the fire, I was working my overnight shift when a neighbor called around 4:50 a.m. to say she was evacuating and asked if my parents had left yet. I had no idea the fires were even close. I immediately left work in a panic. When I reached the neighborhood, police and fire officials told me the roads were closed and warned me that entering was at my own risk. But my parents were still inside. There was no way I could stand by and do nothing.

I pushed through and made it home the power was already out. Luckily, we had a backup generator to keep my father’s medical equipment going. My dad is a paraplegic and relies on a hospital bed. As I tried to get him up, he looked at me and said, “Just leave me, take moma.”

But there was no way in hell I was going to leave my daddy.

With God’s strength, I managed to drag him off that bed and get him to the car. My mother, who uses a walker, was by his side. Just as we reached the vehicle, a stranger saw us and helped load them both into the car.

We escaped with our lives, but not much else. By the time I returned, the house was completely engulfed in flames. There was nothing left to salvage.

As we process this overwhelming loss and try to figure out what comes next, we are asking for support to help rebuild our lives. Everything we had generations of memories, personal belongings, medical equipment, important documents is gone. But we are still standing, and most importantly, we are still together.