A nurse in the ICU in Oklahoma was left homeless over the holidays after her home burned down while she was working to treat COVID-19 patients.
Tina Irwin was working at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City for 12 hours when her neighbor called to tell her her house was on fire, according to KOCO News 5.
Three of the single mother’s four children were at home when the fire started, the outlet reported.
‘I got hold of my daughter … the terrifying scream. Never heard such a scream, ”Irwin told KOCO 5.
‘The flames were … I couldn’t believe it. I’m a single mom and I just walk upstairs and everything is gone. “
Irwin was able to find some souvenirs, including photos and her daughter’s graduation cap.
Among the items recovered was the firefighter movie “Ladder 49,” which Irwin said was ironic.
Fortunately, Irwin’s son was able to get his sisters and their pets to safety and no one in the family was injured.
The cause of the fire is being investigated.
Meanwhile, community members and benefactors have donated nearly $ 20,000 to the family on a GoFundMe page.
“They will need the basic necessities in the coming weeks, but if we could bless her family financially, any amount would help with the collection, especially this holiday season,” the plea for fundraising reads.
In a Facebook post, Irwin thanked her neighbors for coming to her assistant and said she tries to stay positive.
“I get so many texts and posts with much needed words of encouragement and offers to help. I want you all to know how much this means to our family … I woke up this morning and prayed that this was just a nightmare, but when I opened my eyes it became unreal. I immediately realized that all I could do was baby steps. We are safe, warm, together and have food to eat, we are off to a good start ”, the report says.
Irwin has been working in the hospital 12 hours a day since the start of the pandemic.