A North Carolina woman has lost her home in a fire as she lay in a hospital with a broken back suffered in a traffic accident.
A North Carolina woman lost her home in a fire as she lay in a hospital with a broken back suffered in a traffic accident.
Lori Williams was injured in the car crash near Fayetteville on Nov. 26 as she was returning from an uncle’s funeral, the Winston-Salem Journal reports. The 54-year-old grandmother has been bed-ridden with two shattered vertebrae after the car accident. Her injuries were so severe that she was transported to UNC Hospitals and underwent emergency surgery.
While Williams was in the hospital, she learned her house burned to the ground Wednesday. The fire caused $120,000 worth of damage and destroyed memories of her late husband. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
« I was looking forward to going home. I’m just shocked and devastated, » said Williams, who was released from the hospital hours after learning about the fire. « There are so many things for me to deal with right now that feel bigger than life and I’m stuck in bed. »
Williams’ two dogs, Tinkerbell and Kane, were in the backyard and weren’t hurt, she said, but nothing material could be salvaged.
« Everything was lost. I don’t have anything, » she said. « This is very hard. It’s overwhelming. »
Among the items lost were her mother’s Bible and her wedding photos with her late husband, Eddie, who died of brain cancer 12 years ago almost to the day.
« There’s so much wrapped up in that house. When my husband died, everyone asked if I’d sell it, but I told them ‘never,' » she said. « There are so many memories there of my husband, me and my daughters. »
Williams’ two grandchildren always come over to her house for Christmas because she’s the only family member with a fireplace and Santa Claus has to have a chimney, she said.
« I don’t know what we’ll do this year. Now I have no fireplace. I have no home, » she said. « I don’t think I’ll ever heal from this. »
Her family is trying to raise money to help get her back on her feet. Since she was released from the hospital, Williams has been staying with her sister-in-law in nearby Kernersville.
« I’ve had a lot of little incidents along the way, but faith and family have gotten me through, » Williams said. « This is a big ordeal, but I’ve seen a lot of kindness come out. »
