FUND HELPS BIG FAMILY
Fire destroyed home soon after triplets born
A Gofundme campaign, set up after Danielle Johnston performed life-saving CPR on one of her newborn triplets only to lose her home to a fire a month later, has reached almost $70,000 in just five days.
Set up by family friend Brianna Ereth, the campaign is well on its way to reaching its $100,000 goal. The money raised will help the family of nine get back on their feet.
“I don’t even have words for it. It’s just so humbling,” said Johnston. “So much kindness and generosity.
“It’s going to make it so that everything ’s going to be OK.”
On July 16, Johnston went into labour. Living on a farm southeast of Weyburn, her first baby was born before the ambulance arrived. When she realized the baby wasn’t breathing, she performed CPR until help arrived. The other two babies were born in Regina the next day.
The family spent several weeks living in a camper, so they could be near the triplets — Karlee, Liam and Jack — in Regina.
On Aug. 18, a day before the triplets were released from the hospital, the Johnstons’ family house burned down, taking with it all the family’s possessions, including all the specialty items recently purchased for the new trio.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to Johnston.
Still living in their trailer, but now back on their property near Griffin, the family is optimistic about the future.
“It’s just stuff you know? I could have lost a child in that fire if we were home. It could have been very bad,” said Johnston. “I’ll make new memories. It will be all right.”
She said all three babies are home and thriving, and with so much community support, the family is coping well.
In addition to the Gofundme, Ereth and a few friends have been collecting donated items such as baby formula and clothing — enough to fill a three-car garage.
Ereth had also found a house for rent, big enough for the family and was prepared to have it fully furnished and move-in ready, but she said Johnston preferred to stay in the trailer for now.
“She broke down and cried a few times just by the generosity of people,” she said of the last time she spoke with Johnston. “She’s like, ‘thank you isn’t good enough. I don’t know what to say to people.’ ”
“Honestly, what can you say other than thank you,” said Ereth. “Accept it and at some point in your life you’ll be able to pay it forward.”
She said donations have been pouring in from all over North America. Other families with triplets have been reaching out, posting photos of their own kids on the Gofundme page and donating money, and the children’s school has bought everything they need to go back in the fall.
The family is well on their way to replacing practical items and being able to cover bills while Johnston’s husband, Trevor, couldn’t work because he was home looking after their four other kids.
“He’s missed nearly two and a half months of work and we’re small business owners, so we have the mortgage payments and everything else, but we also have equipment payments,” said Johnston. “It is hefty. Our payments are triple what a normal family’s are.”
The couple runs Village Transport Ltd., a grain hauling company, and Trevor is owner and operator of Dempsey Laird Trucking Ltd.
She said the money raised by the Gofundme means they don’t have to lose the businesses they rely on.
But there are some things money can’t replace. The family’s three cats and one of their three dogs also perished in the fire.
“They were like children almost to me,” said Johnston. “That’s what hurts the most.”
“We had to keep everything as it was for the investigators and stuff, so his body was still there,” she said of their German shepherd that died. “Our (other) dog would just lay by it and she hasn’t been eating ... Just breaks your heart.”
The family hopes to be able to move into their new home by the end of October. As the weather gets colder, Johnston said they may move in with her mom until their house is ready.
“It’s stressful, I’m not going to lie, but like I said it could have been a lot worse,” she said.
She hopes to one day be able to repay the kindness shown to her and her family. Until then, she is focused on rebuilding and moving forward.
“A huge thanks to everybody that’s shown up and been there for this family because they need it right now,” said Ereth. “It’s a good cause.”
It’s just stuff you know? I could have lost a child in that fire if we were home. It could have been very bad.