A community is in mourning after a pregnant mother, her 6-year-old daughter and another little girl died in a house fire.
“What happens to one person, happens to all of us,” Sadalia Sturgill said.
Sturgill lives two doors down from the burned-out home, a house she visited many times over the years.
“The two little girls attended a program at my church on Wednesday nights,” Sturgill said. “They were in the Christmas program this year.”
Eryn Toogood, 27 years old and six months pregnant, died in the fire, along with her daughter, Haisley. Six-year-old Raegan Maraman was also killed.
“You know, we grew up here. We’re from here,” Jesse Vittitoe said. “No parent should ever go through what all these parents are going through.”
Vittitoe is friends with Reagan’s father, Billy.
“God, I love Billy, and I really hope that somehow he can find peace with this somehow,” Vittitoe said. “But I don’t know how.”
Billy is now mourning the deaths of his daughter, girlfriend, her daughter, and their unborn son.
Two other parents also lost their daughter.
Raegan’s mother, Karlie Lynch, told WDRB News in a statement:
“She had the prettiest blonde hair and blue eyes. I never want to forget how she lit up a room or how sweet, silly and goofy she was. She was a girly girl through and through and loved all things sparkly and colorful. I don’t want to have a funeral, I want to Celebrate the best 6 years I’ve had with my baby and that’s all I can give to her now.”
There are multiple GoFundMe pages set up to help the families of the victims. The Lebanon Junction Fire Chief told WDRB News that an account is set up at the First Harrison Bank in Lebanon Junction. He says that anyone wanting to help can talk to employees about how to donate.
source: wdrb
