'We Are Devastated': After Losing Everything In Raging Pre-Christmas Fire, Family Desperately Needs New Home

WADING RIVER, NY — Just five days before Christmas, Cindy McCory, of Wading River, lost everything in a raging fire that ripped through her family's home in a heartbeat.

And now, the community has come together, opening their arms and hearts to help during the family's darkest hour.

A GoFundMe page, "Help Cindy McCory’s Family Rebuild After House Fire," was created by Steve McCory.

"Cindy is a special needs paraprofessional at a local Riverhead charter school, and a devoted mom to Jayson, a bright 13-year-old with a passion for music and gaming," he wrote. "Cindy’s partner, Donald (De), has been by her side for over 15 years, working two jobs to help support their small family. Their lives were turned upside down when a devastating house fire destroyed everything they owned, just days before Christmas."

He added: "The tragedy was compounded by the loss of their beloved pet rabbit, Daisy, who didn’t make it out despite Cindy’s desperate, selfless attempt to save her."

The family is now facing unimaginable challenges, the page said. "With no renters' insurance, Cindy, Jayson, and De have lost their home, their car, and all of their belongings. They are left with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the love they share."

He added: "Cindy’s dedication to her students and her family is unwavering, but right now, they need help to rebuild and find stability. Funds raised will go directly toward helping Cindy, Jayson, and De secure a new place to live, to get back on their feet."

Firefighters braved gusty winds and icy conditions to tackle the blaze that broke out in Wading River home in the early morning hours of December 20, officials said.

According to Chief Mark Donnelly of the Wading River Fire Department, a call came in at 1:07 a.m. about a residential structure fire on 20th street. Multiple calls were being received due to a visible fire at the home, he said.

A Wading River Fire District medic, upon opening the door at the Wading River fire station, was met by a nearby homeowner, telling him that there was a house on fire on 20th street, officials said.

Speaking with Patch, McCory described the night when everything changed in a literal heartbeat. Her son, she said, was spending the night at his father's. She got home and fell asleep; her partner Donald came home just after 11 p.m.

The house was quiet, McCory said. Donald turned on the TV and fell asleep. And then, when he woke up at about 1:30 a.m., what happened next was a nightmare beyond anything they could ever have imagined.

Donald, McCory said, saw paper towels in flames in the kitchen. Racing into the bedroom where she was sleeping, screaming that there was a fire, she said. "We had 30 seconds to get out. I was trying to find my rabbit, Daisy; she sleeps behind the couch," McCory said.

She grabbed Daisy, who'd been sleeping peacefully, unaware of the fire, but the bunny slipped out of her hands. "And right there, my heart shattered," she said. "I used all my strength to try and move that couch. But the smoke was so thick," they had to run out, she said. "We couldn't do anything but watch the house burn with my sweet angel inside."

There was no time, McCory said. No time to grab anything — she ran out without her keys, her wallet, her phone. Her vehicle was destroyed in the fire, too.

"I had nothing on but a T-shirt, and the wind was blowing. We were just in shock, screaming for our rabbit, our Daisy," she said. "We dropped to our knees; our heart were racing."

They still do not know, McCory said, what might have started the fire.

And although it's been just over a week since the fire stole everything, she, her son, and her partner are still having trouble grasping that what happened is actually real. "We can't wrap our heads around it," she said.

The hours before the tragedy had been filled with Christmas excitement, McCory, who works at Alternatives for Children in Aquebogue, said. "I had just spent my entire paycheck on Christmas gifts, and I was excited to wrap it all in the morning. I'd even gotten my Secret Santa gift for work. For my son, I had a new guitar. We'd picked it out together and he's made me laugh — he told me, 'Mom, while you were out shopping I went into the closet and played the guitar with Daisy for an hour.'"

It was one of the last memories her son would ever have with his beloved pet.

Her son, who will turn 14 in January, attends Riverhead Middle School and will be starting high school in the fall.

While he's upset about losing his guitars, the one thing that has left him, and the family, broken, is the loss of their Daisy.

"If we had her, we could forget everything else," McCory said. "The fact that we lost her — she's a family member — we're just destroyed. We're devastated."

Daisy, who was 5, had joined their family during COVID, when the baby rabbit was just three months old. "She was allowed to free roam; she was litter trained," she said. "She was a sweet, happy girl. She will always be loved and missed."

And now, her family has to move forward, sifting through the ashes to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.

Her son has been staying with his father; she is staying at her boyfriend's mother's house, McCory said. Their fervent hope, she said, is to find a new apartment — a new home.

Family, and the community, have been incredibly kind — they've been given a car by a relative, and donations of clothing have come pouring in, as has assistance from the Red Cross.

Slowly, they're going to DMV, doing what needs to be done to replace all that was lost, including identification.

"We're taking it one day at a time, just trying to stay positive," McCory said. "We are grateful to be alive and to be together. And we are so thankful for all the support — all the people who've called to check up on us. The fact that everyone is coming together, people we haven't heard from in years are reaching out and supporting us — and we're just so grateful. We're just taking it day by day, trying to restore our lives."

The most important next step, she said, is to find housing.

"Your support is extremely helpful for this young displaced family — we thank you for any support in advance during this holiday season. Every donation, no matter the size, will make a meaningful difference as they work to recover from this heartbreaking loss," the GoFundMe said.

Reflecting on her family's tragedy, McCory said it's unthinkable to imagine that in just one day, "everything could just be over. It's unbearable. It's so hard to accept — but it’s reality."

To donate to the GoFundMe, click here.