BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – What was once home to seven children and two parents — is now reduced to ash and debris.
Tonya Wilson and her tight-knit family are now searching for a new place to live after a devastating fire on Saturday.
Wilson said Brevard County Fire Rescue told her it was caused by faulty wiring in the attic.
“I’ve cried every day,” Wilson said.
Wilson rushed out of Walt Disney World with her children on Saturday evening after she got a devastating call.
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She was alerted that her house on Guava Street in Canaveral Groves was destroyed by flames.
“Somebody was watching over us. God, like, they say He has a plan, and He was definitely watching over the family that day because the fire department said if we’d have been here, we probably wouldn’t have made it out,” Wilson said.
Sadly, Wilson’s four dogs and one cat did not make it out.
“I just felt horrible,” Wilson said. “They were my babies. They were just like my kids.”
The family’s sentimental items were also destroyed in the fire.
“All my girls did cheer, competition cheer, and their ribbons, and all the medals (are) just all gone,” Wilson said.
Even an urn with a family member’s remains is nowhere to be found.
Wilson said she doesn’t want to celebrate this year, but because of her children, she will.
Wilson’s big family received an outpouring of support just five days after the fire.
More than $7,000 has been donated to their GoFundMe.
Wilson said she welcomes the help, but she emphasized that she is most grateful for those she holds near and dear to her heart.
“We can buy new stuff, start over, but we can’t bring back a life,” Wilson said.
Currently, Wilson, her husband and her children are split between two homes. She wants to bring all the family back together in a new home whenever possible.
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