Displaced family grateful for community response after devastating fire at Gertrude St. home

A family in Hamilton says they’re overwhelmed Friday after being burned out of their home this week and losing everything, including eight pets: two dogs and six cats.

But they also say they’re amazed by the community response from people reaching out to help.

The one good thing about the fire on Gertrude Street in north Hamilton’s industrial area Wednesday night is that no people were injured.

There was no one home at the time, but the loss of everything in the home, including the dogs and cats, is just the latest setback for a family struggling to keep going.

When the fire broke out, it destroyed the home of six people: Joanne O’Callaghan, her fiance Rob and their four grandchildren.

“Just taking it day by day, just trying to stay afloat,” said O’Callaghan.

They were coming home on Wednesday when they ran into the fire scene.

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“There was fire trucks and ambulances and the police were on the street,” said O’Callaghan. “We got stopped at Depew (Street) and tried to run home. I dropped to the ground — I collapsed, and all I wanted was my dogs.”

Inside the house were two dogs, George and Bluey, described by friends and neighbours as friendly, lovable pets.

“And I’ll say ‘it’s okay, I’m coming back George’, and I’ll never see him again,” said O’Callaghan.

Firefighters pulled one of the dogs out of the fire, still alive, but he didn’t make it — both had died.

“It’s devastating,” said O’Callaghan. “The stuff inside is replaceable, but not my animals.”

Their six cats died in the fire as well.

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“I adopted all of them,” said O’Callaghan. “I’m a cat lover and I’m a lover, they were all microchipped house cats — had their own personalities.”

For O’Callaghan and Rob, the fire is the latest challenge.

Rob’s daughter died some time ago leaving them to raise their four grandchildren as their own.

“We were trying to give them a stable and comfortable home,” said O’Callaghan. “We took them with just the clothes on their back two years ago, now that we’ve had them and now we’re left with just the clothes on our back, but we’ll get through it.”

But friends and neighbours are inspired by their generosity, including O’Callaghan’s co-workers at the Barton Touchdown Pub.

“They’ve already raised their own kids and now they have to raise, well they don’t have to, they chose to raise their grandchildren, and then their house caught fire and they’ve lost everything they’ve owned,” said Dean Smith, from the Barton Touchdown Pub. “Everything.”

Friends have organized a fundraiser to benefit the family on June 28, with four bands donating their time, while neighbours are collecting donations and even offering a home for the family.

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“It shows how our community comes together to support people in time of need,” said one of O’Callaghan’s neighbours Josephine Marcus.

A GoFundMe page organized by O’Callaghan’s son Jacob McIntosh has been growing steadily.

“In the last day, I can’t appreciate the amount of money and donations and love we’ve gotten from everybody,” said McIntosh.

“It’s very overwhelming,” said O’Callaghan. “It’s amazing. We help a lot of people — to see the outpouring from the community, it’s fantastic.”

Joanne says it’s going to take a long time to replace everything they lost.

The GoFundMe page lists shoes and clothes the children need, and cash donations have been growing steadily.

The last time CHCH News checked, it was well over $11,000 with a goal of $16,000.