Fundraising underway to help local family following house fire

THE overwhelming generosity of local people has once more come to the fore after a GoFundMe page was set up in the wake of a terrifying fire which left a Burndennet family homeless.

Terence Breslin, his partner Rebecca McNamee and their baby son Theo were left devastated as a fire ripped through their bungalow. Thankfully no-one was home at the time of the fire but the blaze left the house uninhabitable, decimating almost every room and destroying furniture, precious heirlooms and even a number of Christmas presents which had already been bought for Theo’s second Christmas.

This week NIFRS confirmed that two appliances were called to a house on the Victoria Road in Burndennet on November 22 from the Crescent Link station. The fire is believed to be accidental.

Speaking on the family’s behalf, local woman Sinead McDermott admitted that Terence and Rebecca are heartbroken.

“It’s been an awful time for for the family since the fire,” she said. “The fire was discovered by a friend who contacted me and I immediately phoned Rebecca to let her know. By the time the fire brigade got there, the house has been rendered completely unliveable; absolutely everything was black. Clothes were lost, furniture and appliances destroyed.

“Rebecca and Terence had memory boxes from when Theo was born; all those precious memories of his first year up in smoke. They’re heartbroken.

“Rebecca and I went out to see the house after the fire and when we got there, she just flung her arms around me and cried. I told her, ‘I know the house is gutted, but be thankful that none of you were in the house at the time. At the speed the fire took hold, you might not have gotten out in time.’”

The trio are currently living with Rebecca’s father with whatever they could salvage. Sinead also revealed that they have been told it might be six months before it is even possible to get back into their “own wee place again.”

A hastily-arranged GoFundMe page, set up by Rebecca’s aunt Dana Roulston, has been in full swing the past week and has already surpassed the £1,000 total set, standing yesterday (Wednesday) at £1,943.

Concluding, Rebecca and family have asked Sinead to convey their absolute thanks for the support received.

“The three of them are just so overwhelmed by the support everyone has been bestowed ever since the fire happened,” Sinead continued. “Clothes, money, and replacement Christmas presents are just some of the items being offered. Some generous donations of furnishings have also been given and are currently in storage awaiting a house to put them in.

“It’ll be a tough time for them no doubt. We’ll keep the GoFundMe page going for as long as possible. Already, Rebecca is talking about what she can do to give back to those who are generously giving so much to help her, Terence and Theo get back on track. They can’t thank anyone enough!”

Anyone wanting to donate to the cause can do so by searching for ‘Help Rebecca Terence and Theo’ on gofundme.com