Heartache for Tipperary family after house fire spreads throughout home just before Christmas

A family in Tipperary whose home caught fire almost one month ago, is still struggling to cope with the aftermath of the devastating situation they’ve found themselves in.

Caroline Gibson, from Tipperary Town, spoke to Tipperary Live about how her family is coping after a fire engulfed their home on November 21.

“I still can’t believe that this has happened to us,” says Caroline who lived in the home with four-year-old son and her husband.

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“The smoke damage is horrific, every room has been destroyed by smoke damage.

“We worked so hard for years to buy our first house, and over the past two years we filled it with the little things that made it ours, our furnishings, our comforts, and our family memories.”

A GoFundMe page has recently been set up for the family, who is struggling to replace the contents of their home after the fire.

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“We never thought something like this would happen to us. Unfortunately, our insurance doesn’t cover the contents, so everything inside, our beds, furniture, and belongings has been destroyed.

“We are very proud people and never imagined asking for help, but right now we have no other choice. Even being able to replace just the basics, like a bed to sleep on, would mean the world to us.”

Caroline explains that the insurance the family has will only cover the rewiring of their home, not other costs like the clean-up or replacing of essential items.

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“We’re renting a holiday home at the moment, so we’re paying a mortgage and rent at the same time. I’ve had to give up my job for a while, just after starting, because I have nowhere else to go but to my family who live three hours away,” says Caroline explaining the stress of the situation she has found herself in.

“My son keeps asking when we can go home to his toys and I don’t have the words for him because we’re in limbo and all of our belongings are gone,” says Caroline.

“We have two chickens who live in our garden and a cat. It's extremely stressful as I have to find a foster family to take in our cat temporarily. It’s just so much and right before Christmas too, it’s really heart breaking,” says Caroline tearing up.

Caroline explains how herself and her husband have been overwhelmed and blown away by all the help that they have received from the community after they reached out for help.

“We’ve just been blown away by all the help we’ve gotten. My husband couldn’t believe how generous everyone was and would like to thank each and every one of them because it really has helped us,” she says.

Caroline, who is an animal lover, donates regularly to animal charities and says her husband has a giving heart also, but they never thought they’d be asking for help from strangers online.

Waiting on the insurance company to finalise what they will cover and how long repairs will take is another level of stress added to the situation, says Caroline.

“We’re trying to hold it together. It’s just really hard at the moment, especially financially. Everything is gone inside our home and we worry every day how much it’s going to cost to live in our home again,” she explains.

Caroline wants to again thank everyone who has helped her family out during this trying time. “I really just want to mention how amazing everyone has been to us, friends and everyone has really been amazing. We’re so touched by this,” she finishes.

If you would like to support the GoFundMe to help rehome Caroline and her family, please visit here.