ROCKLAND, Mass. — A Rockland family who lost their son in Iraq is now dealing with another big loss.
A fire tore through their home Tuesday morning destroying everything inside.
FOX25's Malini Basu spoke with emotional family members as they were getting help from the Red Cross.
Maureen O’Haire and four of her children were home when the massive fire broke out at their union street home.
What matters to them now is that everyone made it out safely, including Fredrick the goldfish, and Cody the dog with cataracts.
“I'm thanking God I did not lose another person,” she said. “I'll get by. I always do.”
The mother of nearly a dozen children, some adopted, couldn't help but wipe tears away. So many emotions, this isn't this family's first time dealing with loss.
Maureen lost her husband to cancer about ten years ago.
Dad's ashes were one of the things they were able to salvage from the fire ravaged home. But this family is also a gold star family.
“He had just gone over, he wasn't there for a long period of time and he got killed,” O’Haire said.
Losing Marine Lance Corporal Walter O’Haire in May 2007 in Iraq, just days before his 21st birthday.
“It’s not going to be good tomorrow. It's not going to be OK the next day. So it's not a simple fix where I can put a Band-Aid on it,” Maureen said.
As if that's not enough, Maureen says she is also facing foreclosure on their house.
“They send me notices, sometimes I look at them,” she said.
Fire investigators tell FOX25 they don't know how the fire started.
The Red Cross will help them out for a few days and they don't know where they will end up after that.
Mass Fallen Heroes is currently seeking donations to assist the family. Donations can be made to the O'Haire Family Fund at www.massfallenheroes.org.
Cox Media Group
