'The whole trailer is up in flames': Erath family needs help after losing everything
ERATH, La. (KLFY) -- A family in Erath is looking for help to rebuild their life after their mobile home caught fire just before the new year.
Gabirell Rodrigue, her three year old son, her mother Brandy Broussard and her stepfather Jedd Knight are without a home since Rodrigue got a phone call Dec. 29 from her mother.
“At first I couldn't believe it and I'm like, is it a small fire or is it a big fire?" Rodrigue said. "I didn't really understand and then she was like, 'No, it's bad. Like, the whole trailer's up in flames.' They had told us that it originated from something to do with the stove that they were thinking either something was on the stove or something along those lines.”
Rodrigue said she got the call when she was visiting with her boyfriend in Texas for the Christmas holiday.
“I didn’t get home until the next day," she said. "Me and my mom came back Monday and everything (was destroyed). The living room, the kitchen, the bathroom, pretty much my mom's whole room. It's all burnt to char and everything's melted. All of the clothes, everything that's in there is black from the smoke. All my son's toys; I'm scared to give him anything in that house. It's bad. He's doing this crying that he wants to come home and we can't. So, yeah, it sucks.”
She described how tough it has been for her family since everyone is now split apart, scattered among several family members.
“I don’t like seeing my mom and my stepdad go through this," she said. "I'm stronger, you know, I can deal with it but for my mom and dad to have to sit here and wonder what's going to happen next, (not knowing) where they're going to live.”
Rodrigue said it is difficult for her son because all his clothes, toys and Christmas presents are gone. He can no longer just run outside and play. He misses his grandparents and being at their home.
“I think my mom's taking it the hardest because with everything we've gone through," Rodrigue said. "She tried so hard to make this house a home and give us a safe place to be and now everything's destroyed. My stepdad had just done the cabinets, like he just put it in brand new cabinets and an island for my mom that were like, he would burn them and they were so pretty and they're destroyed. The living room where all the pictures of the family, the pictures I had gotten my mom for her birthdays and Christmas of her and the grandbabies and everything, it's all destroyed. All her little knickknacks that she loves so much are broken from when they were trying to put out the fire and stuff. I mean, the only good outcome is that my son's fish didn't die because he loves those fish.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe Account. Their goal is $5,000. If you would like to help you can donate clothes or toys to Rodrigue’s son or send funds to the family’s GoFundMe.
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