t’s actually needless to say that parents will do everything just to ensure the safety of their children – even if they need to put their own lives on the line. That’s what a father of twin girls named Ray Lucas did when their house in Eastpointe, Michigan caught fire.
Ray and his girlfriend, Shi’Ann Brown decided to make a quick 15-minute run to the gas station, but when they came back, their house was already blazing. As soon as he saw the fire, what went through his mind first were their twin babies, 18-month-old twin daughters Malaysia and Milan.
He knew their babies were still in the basement sleeping.
Every second counts.
Ray wasted no time, dashed through their burning house, and looked for his way to their babies.
“I just knew I had to get my babies out,” he said. “That’s what went through my mind.”
Shi’Ann, on the other hand, also went in to help but she couldn’t see her way and eventually collapsed. Thankfully, because of his presence of mind, Ray found his way inside.
“You really couldn’t see your hand in front of your face – I really only found my babies due to my memory, just knowing where they were and knowing how to get to them – just from having that same route,” he said while recalling what happened during that crucial moment.
Both Malaysia and Milan were alive!
It was all thanks to the bravery of their father. However, the successful rescue came with a price, and that was Ray suffering from severe burns in the electrical fire, and second and third-degree burns on his face, eyes, neck, arms, and other parts of his body.
Just like him, Malaysia also needed to be treated for severe burns, and Milan from smoke inhalation and second-degree burns. Together with their dad, the babies had to be in the ICU to recover from their injuries.
“I was temporarily blind for three days and they said it was a miracle I could see,” Ray said. “I’ve got burns on my arms, but for the most part, everyone is still here.”
Because of how serious his injuries were, Ray got scared about not being able to go back to work. They lost everything in the fire and their house turned into coal and ashes. On top of it all, their medical bills also racked up to an unimaginable amount.
On July 22, Shi’Ann updated their family and friends about their situation through a Facebook post.
“These last couple days have been crazy but I just wanted to thank everybody for their support, whether it was prayers, money, clothes, anything, I’m truly grateful. My babies were discharged from the hospital yesterday & their Dad was also discharged. We are now at a hotel & we’re all just working on recovering.”
In her post, Shi’Ann also mentioned their search for a new home. A Good Samaritan named Gwendolyn Powell-Dixon learned about what happened and organized a GoFundMe for the family.
“If anybody can support that’ll be great,” Ray said.
From its $40,000 goal, they were able to raise a whopping $490,865! Despite the fire incident, Ray, Shi’Ann, and the rest of their family were beyond thankful for all the people who unhesitatingly helped them to be back on their feet. Only goes to show that kind people are everywhere.