Pregnancy & Birth

Firefighters throw mum a baby shower after house burns down

When heavily pregnant Nicola Taylor lost everything in a house fire, the firemen who came to her rescue decided to help rebuild her life.

On April 10, mum-to-be Nicola Taylor awoke from a nap to the smell of smoke. Her fourth floor flat was on fire.

Thankfully Nicola, 30, made it out of her fourth floor home unharmed, but she lost everything – including all the gifts she’d received at her babyshower just days earlier.

“[The firefighters] were seeing a whole bunch of burned up baby items and it was very emotional for the guys, being parents themselves,” explained Captain Jerry Gonzalez from the Lauderhill Fire Department in Florida.

Nicola’s home was completely destroyed (ABC News)

Moved by Nicola’s plight, the men and women of the Lauderhill Fire Department decided to do something extraordinary and not only replace the gifts which Nicola had lost, but throw her a second baby shower.

Jerry Gonzalez set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to help Nicola and her family ‘get back on their feet.’

Writing on the page, he explained: “A family of four (soon to be 5) lost everything they had in a Lauderhill Fire on Monday, April10th, 2017. One of the family members is 8 months pregnant and her friends had just recently thrown a baby shower for her.

“All the gifts she received were lost in the fire. The entire family lost absolutely everything they owned. Please help this family get back on their feet. This account was created by Firefighters.”

Soon the donations started flooding in, and the department eventually raised an impression $5,105 (nearly £4,000).

But the fire department’s generosity didn’t stop at a babyshower and gifts. Amazingly, they also paid a deposit and a few month’s rent on a new flat for the family!

Talking about firefighter’s wonderful act of kindness, Nicola told ABC News: “There’s no words to describe it,”

“My dad, he cried. That explains it all. I never see my dad in tears. I would like to tell the fire department, ‘Thank you.’ I would like to say [to] everybody who donated, ‘Thank you, and thanks for the well wishes.'”

Meanwhile Nicola’s dad, Glenton Daley – who lives with his daughter – said: “It’s so overwhelming… I don’t know how to thank them.

“I was worried… it was painful and unbearable and these angels came along and stood by me. I’m so thankful.”

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