Cherished Friends and Family, (please feel free to share this with anyone…)
Your love, prayers, support, encouragement and generosity throughout the aftermath of the fire is our greatest treasure and our most prized possession. For two people who have only a few material items that we can call assets, your outpouring of care, concern and actions reveal that in those we love and by whom we are loved, we are rich beyond measure.
The fire destroyed everything where we lived, but only served to unleash the reality of where we dwell. The drastic measure we had to take to remain alive has left its mark upon us with actions of faith and trust, discovered courage, recoverable physical injury and immeasurable gratitude and thankfulness to be alive. The reality of all that could have happened is sobering and almost unbearable to think about, but in doing so hands us the miracle and saving from tragedy our escape granted. The Lord God and the safekeeping of our guardian angels saved us and we thank and praise Him for the gift of continued earthly life, and we thank our three guardian angels for their endless, daily faithfulness to do the will of God by obeying His charge to protect us.
I am having this collective letter (report)sent to you all, but as able, will return phone calls and emails to each of you. Now that I am off the heavy medications, I can think and communicate with much more clarity so it’s time to write and connect with you all. We were asked, “Are you overwhelmed by the fire?” The answer is NO. The fire was destructive. It is the outpouring of your prayers, calls, emails, gifts and the lavishing acts of love and care, that are overwhelming and comforting to us.
THE FIRE: September 26th4:07am (please skip this part if you’ve heard it all before…)
The fire started outside the apartment of our neighbor’s balcony. It has been ruled accidental. There were 8 units on our side of the building, they all are destroyed. The fire spread so fast, unbelievably fast. Our neighbor woke and saw the flames, called 911 then with his two roommates, knocked on the doors of the top three apartments as they ran down the stairs. We did not hear the knock but our dog (a year and half old Jack Russell), Emy did and she probably smelled the early stages of smoke too. She barked and cried, this is what woke us up. When the guys realized that we didn’t come down the stairs, one of them crawled on his belly up the stairs under the smoke and knocked on the bottoms of our doors. This knock we heard.
I ran to the door the knob was hot and as I opened the door I felt the pull of the draft so I slammed it shut. I only had to walk a short distance toward the porch doors to see flames crossing the balcony from the breeze-way so it was clear we weren’t going to be able to go out the porch door or climb down the balcony. I yelled back to Kenn that we were going to have to go out the window. As I went to get Alexander, Kenn searched to see if there was any other way out but quickly realized there wasn’t. I woke Alexander, I will never forget his face – it is engrained in my mind and heart. Pure trust! He glued himself to my side and started saying, “Jesus help us. Please Jesus Help Us!” I am so proud of him he never panicked or displayed fear – he was so brave. Kenn pushed out the middle bedroom window and Alexander and I grabbed as many pillows as we could to throw out the window to the ground to help break our fall. Alexander tried to help me move a bookcase that was in front of the window and we were yelling for help. No one was there. Everyone else had gone out the front and the firemen were not there yet so we knew we were on our own
Kenn handed Emy to Alexander, helped me move the bookcase and immediately climbed down first, to help catch us. Grey smoke was beginning to enter the room. I told Alexander that he’d have to drop Emy to Daddy. Well instead of dropping her, he pulled his elbows back and tossed her out the window; aiming her and hitting his target to have her perfectly land on two pillows completely uninjured. Alexander didn’t hesitate a second he climbed onto the window sill, I helped him turn around (there is no more sickening feeling than to let your child jump from a second story window) and he climbed out to his Daddy’s encouraging calls and then dropped to Kenn.
I heard a long cracking sound behind me, when I looked, I saw a glow and then a tube of black solid smoke turn the corner and rush at the open window where I was standing. I got out the window but that dense smoke was pouring over my head and I couldn’t breathe or see. So I just had to drop. Obviously this is where I got injured but at the time, thanks to adrenaline, didn’t fully realize or feel the full extent of my injuries. About twenty minutes passed until we were reunited with our neighbors, heard how the girls (they just moved in a few weeks ago) in other two 2nd floor apartments also had to jump from their windows, with only one able to climb down the fire ladder. Their injuries range from leg, pelvis and vertebrae fractures. Please may we ask you to pray for all of them? All 26 tenants made it out of the fire alive, some with injuries that will heal, but each of us forever changed.
HERE’S WHERE WE ARE:
Kenn and Alexander are staying with the Richard family who live close to ZanMan’s school, in an attempt to keep at least this aspect of his life as routine and typical for him as possible. We met this kind family through Briarwood Ballet, their daughter is a dancer, a senior in High School and she, along with her mother, can help Kenn as he goes back to work with transporting Alexander. Even Emy (our heroine dog) is welcome in this sweet temporary home. I will join them as soon as I can. Right now we are literally on opposite sides of Birmingham but my guys have managed to come see me almost every day.
I got out of the hospital on Tuesday and am staying at a dear friend’s house this has a lower level with a hospital bed, a walker and ramps for me until I am able to walk unassisted and take stairs. I have fractures in L1 and L4 vertebrae, a tear in my calf muscle and bruised bones in my right leg, ribs, shoulder blade and shoulder. All are healing well and I can expect a full and complete recovery from these injuries. I started having to use a walker but have already graduated to walking short distances and hope by the middle of the week to start tackling stairs. Once I can master the stairs I can join Kenn and Alexander. What a great day that will be and I am so motivated that I’ve made my goal to be there no later than October 10th.
HERE’S HOW TO REACH US:
Mail: P.O. Box 661134Birmingham, Alabama35266
Packages: % of PADS 1919 Oxmoor Road #416, BirminghamAL35209
These are answers in response to your questions “What do you need? How can we help? What can we do?” Material and financial needs - this is the hardest, most humbling aspect of this letter. We intend to replace simply and modestly. Our family pictures and Christmas decorations were not lost in the fire – they were in a storage unit. To still have the majority of our pictures is a blessing beyond measure. They were able to pull my jewelry box and a few really sentimental items appear to be salvageable. Kenn’s orchestra manuscript, that he has worked on for many years now was only wet – this is nothing short of a miracle for the score was in the living room which has the most destruction.
We need and ask for your prayers. Again, please, may I ask you to pray for our neighbors as well? Especially a single mom named Janice, her 10yr old daughter, Destiny and her 4 month old, Julie. All our other neighbors in the unit have support systems assisting and supporting them but she does not. She did have the minimal renters insurance so has some financial compensation. Prayer is our greatest source of help.
Regarding Renters Insurance. We purchased a moderate renters insurance policy in August. What timing!
Regarding Health Insurance - I had just changed Kenn’s and my health insurance coverage and we were in the 30 grace period – my coverage became effective October 1st – the fire was on 9/26. The Hospital reduced my more than $16,000 bill to less than $5000 and put us on a payment plan. I think the ambulance and some doctor bills may still come in separately but all in all it could have much, much higher without their kind and generous leniency.
1. First we need a place to live. We are looking. We cannot return to the apartment complex where we’ve lived these past 9 years and the complex they’ve arranged for all of us to move to is in a different school district. We don’t want to change Alexander’s school unless we absolutely have to. The Vestavia school district where he is now is so wonderful and he has received so much assistance and encouragement all these years.
2. Clothing – we have a few things now – we are grateful if you are sending clothing, gift cards to consignment shops or department stores. This is a so appreciated and touching.
Alexander: Size 12 shirts and pants, size 6 shoes
Kenn: Medium or Large shirts, 30/32 pants, 8.5 shoes
Sue: Misses’s large 12-14, size 6 shoes
3. Household items – Everything is burned or ruined by smoke or water. We have already heard about some of the offers that have been made as donations, we are so grateful, touched and moved by these acts of kindness and generosity. We will replace what we can with the insurance money. We don’t have a place yet to store items or furniture that is being offered but have begun a list that names the item, the person/family donating and their contact information to let them know as soon as we have a place to live.
4. Alexander’s toys: He is ours – but not to our credit – only to our astonishment – he is the most un-materialistic child I have ever met – and always has been. His first choice is always to be outdoors with his friends, with a bike or a ball. When he does play inside these are his favorites – building/construction toys – like Legos & K’Nex - Hot Wheel cars and track – Puzzles.
5. Finances – Kenn and I are so touched and blessed by the financial aid that is being collected on our behalf to aid our family. Please feel free to be specific to memo what aspect of restoration you want your donation allocated to. If you’d like, Kenn’s sister, Kathy Tolle Wiley, has started a secure fund called the “Kenn and Sue Fire Fund” you can contact her at kat.wiley@yahoo.com.
We are sad about the loss of family items, all the music, writing, books and movies we’ve collected over the years and the personal items given to us by friends and students. Truly they are gone but not forgotten. They are ruined but no less cherished. What the fire destroyed cannot be taken from our life experience and memory. These are forever with us and are ours forever.
We are clinging to these scriptures –
“(We) consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed.” Romans 8:17-18
“(We) are learn(ing) in whatever state we are in to be content.” Philippians 4:11
“God is our refuge and strength, A very PRESENT help in time of need, Therefore we will not fear. Even though the earth be removed, (or our house burns down), Selah (= we will pause and consider how Near God is)” Psalm 46:1-3
“(We) will trust in God. In God (we) will praise His word), In God (we) have put our trust; (We) will not fear. What can flesh (or fire) do to (us)? Psalm 56:3-4
Please, Please, Please, review your fire exit strategy at your homes and your insurance coverage. Please consider getting ladders for your second floor bedrooms if there is no other exit for your loved ones. They are not fashionable but we wish we would have had one. We made Elise buy one right away – she lives in a third floor apartment at college. You never imagine that it can happen to you – but it can – please be prepared. I pray and hope that this event that has happened to us will inspire you to double check and prepare your families and your homes.
