A Community’s Horror Comes Close To Home

“Now that it's all over, what did you(we) really do yesterday that's worth mentioning?” ~Coleman Cox

I began yesterday’s post with this quote. Today it is even more important.

Early Sunday morning December 14, 2008 little Ava died in a house fire in Peterborough. It happened on Herbert Street, close to St. Stephens Presbyterian Church. Ava was three years old.

Late last evening I discovered that Ava was part of our church. Yesterday when we prayed in church for the family and all those involved we didn’t know how close she was to us.

Ava attended our Day School at Northview. She was a lively little girl looking forward to Christmas and all that would happen soon for her. Ava also attended our Sunday School just a year or so ago when we ran the Sunday School bus. She was very small then when her mom sent them on the bus each morning. We had a question whether someone so small should come without parents – but mom had reassured us.

As the story has been reported today a teenage boy was babysitting five kids at the house while the parents were working night shifts. He was standing outside helpless with three of the kids while the other two were trapped inside.

There is a helpless feeling in all of us today as we wonder what could have been done to make the place safer for the children. We wonder what we could have done to help the parents. We wonder what happened to cause the tragedy.

I wonder how the teenage babysitter is doing today as he remembers the horror of that moment he discovered the fire. He will think forever of the moments that he collected three kids – but not number four and five.

I wonder today what the single mother is going to do… struggling already with life and working all night to support her three kids… and now her little Ava is gone and Ava’s 18 month old little brother is in a hospital in Toronto.

I wonder what the firemen are feeling like today with the memories of picking up the children in the fire so vivid in their minds… then coming to grips with the end product of the fire.

I wonder today about the other families in the townhouse units. Five Units were burned up and the sixth one severely damaged as the fire moved down the whole unit.

I wonder about the Northview Day School Staff today. These teachers and staff loved little Ava.

I am overwhelmed with a need to support – but have no idea who or how that will happen.

It is reflective to post this statement again… but it is the only one that makes sense right now…
“Now that it's all over, what did “we” really do yesterday that's worth mentioning?” ~Coleman Cox

Why is it close to home for me? Well a short 8 years ago, November 11, 2000, we arrived at the front of our daughter’s home on Eva Court, Whitby, Ontario. We were just popping by for a minute before we headed home to Peterborough. At that moment our daughter Anda was running with her last son from the house screaming for help. Her house was on fire. Her husband Bill was hunting and away for a week. She had just slammed the door as I grabbed her in my arms.

The fear was paralyzing for all of us. I looked into the house and the hallway was so filled with smoke that you could not see an arm’s length into the house. The fire was small but the damage great. I shudder even now – we could have lost our youngest daughter and three grandkids.

This recent community horror has come close to home for my wife and me. Very close… but what can we do?

What else can I do but pray…?
I am praying for a mom today with her great loss and continued struggles. I am praying for a teenage boy that tried hard but it wasn’t enough. I am praying for Firemen today that go home to their own kids and check them at night. I am praying for our Northview Day School staff… you folks are amazing – and you did your best. I am praying today for the six family units that have lost everything.

“God – I ask that you would help them all… please God please..”

~ Murray Lincoln ~

Source:
http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1346313