HOUSTON — More than $350,000 has been raised on GoFundMe in honor of three children whose lives were claimed in a devastating house fire during an unprecedented Texas winter storm.
It remains unsolved what caused the fire that killed Colette, 5, Edison, 8, and Olivia, 11, at a family home Feb. 16 in the First Colony area.
But they will never be forgotten.
One of two GoFundMe accounts is dedicated to honoring the siblings' legacy, and according to the family, the funds will be donated to various charities that reflect the children's personal interest: performing and visuals arts, autism awareness and reading and literacy.
[Editor's Note: The above video was published Feb. 16, 2021]
"Our hearts are broken right now. However, your acts of kindness have given us some comfort to pull us through. We are forever grateful to you all," mother Jackie Phan Nguyen is quoted on the page.
It's raised nearly $224,000 within one day. [Click here to donate.]
The second GoFundMe campaign focuses on raising money for a foundation that the parents plan to establish in their children's honor, according to a family member.
The page said the foundation will provide tuition assistance at St. Laurence Catholic School and raise awareness about fire safety to prevent future tragedies. It has collected nearly $133,000 in donations, also within one day of the campaign. [Click here to donate.]
"These angels were witty, funny, each with their owners funky and sassy attitudes, and each were extremely loved by me and the entire family," the children's uncle said. "This is a tremendous loss to my brother, their father, to all of us, and we are trying to live and deal with this unbearable pain."
Investigators said the fire also took the children's 75-year-old grandmother and left their mother and a family friend with serious burn injuries. Police had to hold the mother back as she fought to go back inside to try and rescue her kids.
All we know is that the house had been without power for eight hours, and according to several social media posts, the family had been using a fireplace to stay warm. However, the official cause is under investigation.