by Melinda Gill
Thursday, July 2, at 8 am, lifetime Clermont resident, Richard Lindgren, received a father’s worst nightmare call. His 13-year-old daughter called to say the “house is on fire!” Elsa awoke to the shrieking sound of smoke detectors and a loud “popping noise.” She sprang from the bed and in the living room, she heard another loud pop and the entire living room burst into flames. Elsa had the mindset to run out the door, call 911, screaming for help, and call her father.
Thankfully, Elsa, an incoming 8th grader at Clermont Middle School, was not injured! Sadly they did lose their 15-year-old dog Sam, who was gently taken by CFD to a local vet. It is her wish to have the dog cremated, get a necklace with a few his ashes in it, and bury the rest under a new plant when they rebuild their home. Richard has been a single father to Elsa most of her life, and he has done a phenomenal job. He recently started a job as an RN at Clermont Medical Center, just a month ago. Since Elsa was a toddler they go everywhere on a two-wheel electric bike, laughing all along the way as they zip around town. They had hoped by late this year to get his truck repaired and make some renovations on their home.
Tonight as Richard went through “the only room that was NOT gutted by fire, but dosed in water and smoke” – Elsa’s room, he was able to gather some belongings like makeup and clothes, and her iPad…. every 13-year-old girl’s treasure. Knowing it’s unlikely we will get those items clean enough, she didn’t miss a beat in saying “It’s ok, I still have hope. Isn’t that weird? I should be really upset but I’m not. I have hope.” Then her dad handed her something that was found on the floor of her room….. an emblem that fell off the helmet of one of the firemen!
She went on to say, “I was so scared but I always had hope. Angels were there. I still have hope, daddy. We will be even better after this. Oh, and I want to frame this helmet thing because if it wasn’t for Clermont Fire Department giving us FREE smoke detectors this would be a different day.” Then she noticed amidst the burnt up flowerbed a single green shape …. “See! It’s burnt everywhere excited there. Look, there’s a heart!!! We will be fine. That is hope.”Tonight this single daddy and his precious girl are at a Clermont area hotel, where they will remain for the foreseeable future. The Red Cross is involved and has given them a Gift Card, that will last a few days. Their homeowner’s insurance is covering, at least, 45 days in the hotel. We will reach out to her school this week.
Thankfully, my husband and my 12-year-old daughter are the same sizes as Richard and Elsa. Tonight they entered the hotel with backpacks filled with enough clothes for a few days, and bathing suits so they can enjoy the hotel pool! They were also gifted several bags of toiletries that were dropped off throughout the evening. Rapidly the news of the tragedy spread across town and social media. Richard has requested I be the “point of contact” for all community giving and media inquiries. We understand that the rush is to give wearable goods, household goods, furnishings, and food, however, they will be living in a hotel room for many months. The biggest need is financial. We are running this GoFundMe with a goal to allow Richard to use the funds as he sees fit and as the needs arise, or both rebuilding their home, and we hope to also get his truck fixed so he can be better able to work through this trying time. This is not a sprint, it is a marathon. It will take a lot of time, money, patience, and prayers to rebuild their home from the bottom up. Please give where able, share this campaign, and join in prayer as a community for this family as they hold on to Hope and one another.
NOTE/IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Should you wish to donate the beloved pets cremation fee directly, food, gift cards, snack items, clothing for father (including nursing scrubs) or daughter, family games, or aid with the vehicle repairs, please contact Melinda Gill (TEXT PREFERRED) directly at 407-616-1233 and reference “Lindgren Family,” and include your first/last name. I will be cataloging their needs and items fulfilled. We are of course thankful for all donations and items desired to be donated, but we must be mindful they are living in a hotel room indefinitely.
Visit GOFUNDME to help provide help.
