Early New Years morning I woke to the sound of my grandmother screaming. I thought she had fallen, and the beeping I heard was the "I've fallen and I can't get up" button around her neck. Unfortunately what I found was so much worse than another broken hip.



She was standing outside her brand new bedroom with a dishpan full of water trying to fight flames taller than herself. Her bed was burning as I took her by the shoulders and got her out of the house. Gram and I are safe. We are staying family with food and shelter, and some new donated clothes. My beautiful baby kitten, Garuda, who has touched so many lives in the past 7 months, didn't make it out.



My grandmother (Jean Lane) just moved back into her house in Lavallette in April, after Hurricane Sandy wiped her out last Halloween. My contractor uncle rebuilt the perfect house for her with his own hands. FEMA gave us a very small portion of the money needed to replace the house every one of our family members grew up in. She spent the rest of her life savings piecing back together what she had lost.



Just 7 hours into the New Year, I was on the phone with 911 telling them that our house was engulfed in flames. We watched helplessly as all of our belongings turned to ash within minutes. The firefighters did what they could. The house was brand new. Everything that made it out of Hurricane Sandy was destroyed. This time nothing was salvageable.



The house will have to be knocked down. We aren't sure where we will go or what the next few months have in store for us. All that we do know is that we are Stronger than the Storm, AND this damn fire. But we will need your help to put our lives back together. ANY and all donations are so greatly appreciated as we currently have nothing left. We can only accept monetary donations and gift cards as we have no where to put anything at the moment.



Donations will be accepted here, as well as through

Paypal to [email redacted]



Checks and Gift Cards can be addressed to Jean Lane and mailed to:

ATTN: Audry Zlynski

102 New Brunswick Avenue

Lavallette, New Jersey 08735



THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. We will never be able to explain the amount of love and appreciation radiating from our hearts to every single one of you during this tragedy. It means the sun and the moon and the stars to myself, my grandmother, and my entire family.

Please check your fire alarms and have a beautiful, safe and happy 2014.

Namaste <3



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