Gloria Fred was recuperating at her daughter's home after a long hospital stay when she heard the news that her house was burning.
Fred's spouse, Frank Pollard, had been in the home he shares with Fred on Tseshaht First Nation reserve land when fire broke out in the kitchen. He got out safely, but the couple lost everything. Now the community is rallying around the couple to try and help them rebuild.
"We're trying to figure out what the next steps are," said Amanda Watts, Fred's daughter. The couple did not have house insurance.
The fire was one more crisis for Fred to endure: she has been very sick, Watts added. "On Jan. 1 she was so sick she just about died."
Suffering from ketoacidosis, sepsis and failing kidneys, Fred was sent to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for dialysis and other treatment. When she was finally stable enough she was transferred back to West Coast General Hospital "and then she broke a hip," Watts said.
Four years ago Fred was injured in a motor vehicle incident, and her health has been poor since then. "From then she...just couldn't afford (insurance), I guess. Now we're at this situation. It's unfortunate."
Her family was busy readying Fred's home for her return when the fire occurred. Watts said RCMP hadn't been in touch whether they found a cause for the fire, which started in the kitchen.
"My mom has a long road ahead of her still, and now has lost all of their belongings in the fire."
Watts has set up a fundraiser at https://www.gofundme.com/f/financial-help-for-my-mom-and-frank. She is hoping to raise $8,000 to help her mother and Pollard rebuild and refurnish their home and their lives. So far she has raised just over $1,900.
She said her mother and Pollard also received some direct donations that helped them buy clothing and essentials. She thanked others who have reached out with offers of furniture and household items, which she has had to turn away. "At this time we have no storage for it," she explained.
