HOUSTON — “No matter what, we are here on Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s, everybody is here,” Delfina Aranda said.
This holiday season will be dramatically different for the Aranda family. Their home which was once full of memories and four generations of Aranda's, is now burnt to the studs.
“Unfortunately, our foundation is broken,” Aranda said.
This is after a fast-moving fire consumed the home that has been in the family for more than 50 years.
“It hurts because this is my father‘s legacy. My mother‘s home is gone,” Aranda said.
She said the electrical fire sparked last Wednesday night just after 9:30 p.m. when all 10 family members who live in the house, including four young children ages 2 to 11, and her bedridden mother were home.
“They had to literally push her on the wheelchair, and drag her out,” she said.
Her mother barely made it out alive. The same is true for her niece Patricia, who lives with cerebral palsy and is constrained to a wheelchair.
“I thought I wasn’t gonna be able to, because my chair didn’t wanna start. It was terrifying,” Patricia said.
Thankfully everyone made it out alive. Unfortunately, one of the family’s dogs died in the fire and everything inside the home including Christmas gifts and essentials is all gone.
“Everything is gone. Nothing survived,” Patricia said.
To make matters worse, the home was uninsured. But the family said they continue to remind each other of one thing.
“Even when things look hard, always keep your faith,” Patricia said.
All 10 family members who lived in the home are spread out, sleeping on different family members' coaches at the moment.
Their mission now is to somehow rebuild the home for Mama Aranda. If you would like to help them do so, you can click here.