Now I need hugs... (or, seriously, what's going on lately?)

[MaggieTheCat]

I just found out that my best friend from Wisconsin, D, had a house fire yesterday. The whole house burned to the ground. Her husband is in the hospital and in the 20 seconds I managed to talk to her, she said, "I'm fine, he's not." I don't know what that means or what his condition is because she didn't want to talk (which I totally understand) and there's been nothing released in the newspapers other than he was taken by ambulance from the fire to the hospital. It happened very early yesterday morning, when they were still asleep, and apparently the roof caved in on the rest of the house as it burned.

This is the SECOND time they've lost their house to a fire. They originally bought a house maybe 25 years ago on the property they own and it burned to the ground 10 or 15 years ago. They rebuilt from the ground up on the same property and now that house just burned down as well. From what I understand, they lost EVERYTHING. The whole house is just gone. D was a world traveler, she's been to Africa, Australia, many parts of England...had many photos and souvenirs from all over. They also have 3 dogs...I don't know if any or all of them are okay or not.

I feel terrible. I feel so helpless because I'm here in Texas and there's really nothing I can do for her except talk to her and offer her emotional support, which I did, but like I said, she said she couldn't talk about it when I called her. I just wish I could be there for her. There isn't even an address I could send flowers to since the house is gone.

[lupo pazzesco]

Been there, done that. sometimes that's all you can do, is be there and offer positive thoughts/energy/prayers what have you. It sucks being helpless, though.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Can you send flowers to the hospital? (There may be restrictions, depending on where in the hospital he is. If he's being treated for severe burns, he may be in a sterile room.)

Hugs for you and your friends.

[MaggieTheCat]

I actually am not sure what hospital he is at right now. The news article I read said he was rushed to the local hospital, but after they stabilized him there, they transferred him to a different hospital in a different city, but didn't say where due to patient privacy laws. I could probably send flowers to her school (she's a teacher) but I'm sure she won't be working for a while. I'll probably wait to hear back from her when she gets "settled" somewhere. I haven't heard back from her yet, or heard anything new in the news yet.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Do you know any of her family or friends in the area that you could ask to keep you updated?

[MaggieTheCat]

I don't really know her family all that well. The only member of her family, other than her husband (who I'm also pretty good friends with) who I've ever talked to, is her brother who lives in Madison. I spoke to him exactly once, when I was house sitting for D and I had to take one of their dogs to the vet. Her brother was picking D and her husband up from the airport so I asked him to give her a message when she got in.

I do know some of her friends. Since she is a teacher she is close to a lot of the other teachers, and I had some of them myself when I was in school. Most unfortunately, her best friend, J, who is a retired teacher (and who I know better than all of the other teachers) just left like 5 days ago for a month-long vacation to Alabama. I wouldn't be surprised if she came home when she found out about the fire, to be with D, though.

Thank you for the support. I'm feeling better now than I was when I posted earlier, it's just hard being so far out of the loop since I don't live there anymore. I will wait till tomorrow and see if I hear anything and if I don't, I may try calling one of her friends.

[HYHYBT]

There isn't even an address I could send flowers to since the house is gone.

Check with the post office about that. Their mail has to go SOMEWHERE... wait, flowers wouldn't go by mail. Perhaps chocolate instead?

The moral support is the best thing anyway, since you're too far away to move in with

[MaggieTheCat]

Update:

I spoke to my friend D for just a couple of minutes today. She didn't want to talk long but gave me the rundown:

Her husband has been transferred to a burn center that is out of state. He has 3rd degree burns on over 40% of his body. He has been unconscious since the fire so she has not been able to speak to him but she has met the team who is going to be taking care of him at the hospital and she said they are fantastic. They do not know if he will live, however.

They had 3 dogs, and 2 of them perished in the fire, including the oldest of the three which D considered to be "her" dog. That dog (well, all of them really, but this one in particular) meant so much to her, it's absolutely devastating for her to lose him at at time like this.

She is trying to locate a house to rent for the time being, with some help from a local church. A fund has also been set up at a local bank for people who want to donate.

That's all she told me for now. As far as I know, there is still no solid info as to where or how the fire started.

[JustaCashier]

How sad.

Just a suggestion, as nice as flowers, (or chocolates) would be as a token gesture, maybe you could put that money you would have spent on them, or more if you can afford it, towards the fund at the bank?

Mike