Neighbors rally to help David and Debbie Jackson
A Taylor couple who lost everything including six cats in a fire that destroyed their home of 30 years is now trying to figure out what comes next.
David and Debbie Jackson, both 68, saw their home at 711 Porter St. reduced to a charred hulk after flames broke out shortly before 11 p.m. Oct. 21.
They lost nearly everything they owned, including a trove of family keepsakes and belongings collected over three decades, the couple said.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation, according to the Taylor Fire Department.
“Right now, we are just maintaining. We aren’t moving forward at all. We are just maintaining,” said David Jackson, a retired electrician.
The husband said he went to bed about 9:30 p.m., while his wife retired at 10 p.m. Not much later, their dogs came rushing in and woke her up.
“She (his wife) smelled smoke and I looked up and saw fire on the front porch,” Jackson said.
Debbie Jackson grabbed her phone and the two dogs and ran outside. Her husband clutched his glasses and some clothes before following her.
They ended up barely dressed in an alley as their home burned.
“The night that it happened, we are standing out barefoot in the alley and, man, it is amazing all the people that just poured out that came over to help us,” David Jackson said.
Neighbors brought them shoes, and another couple loaned them a vehicle so they could put their dogs inside and have transportation.
The Jacksons, however, couldn’t rent a hotel room because their identification and other credentials were lost in the inferno.
They eventually went to stay with their daughter in Round Rock about 3 a.m. David Jackson said the first two days were especially difficult, and the couple struggled to sleep after the fire.
The couple also lost six cats in the blaze. Debbie Jackson said the felines’ deaths all at once have been one of the hardest parts of the experience.
“I’m trying to reason about it like you have pets and you lose them, that is a part of life you have to deal with, but to lose them all at once, it’s just crushing,” she said. “I’m just having a hard time dealing with it.”
She added, “I just want my life back and I want my babies back, but I know that’s not gonna happen.”
The Jacksons resided in their home for 30 years, raising their children and collecting family heirlooms they planned to pass down to the next generation.
“Material stuff is one thing and then you start realizing all the stuff we had saved from 30 years ago, it’s sad,” Debbie Jackson said.
Her spouse said losing those items has been difficult because many cannot be replaced.
“That really broke my heart. We put 30 years into that house to lose everything and to be starting over at 68 years old, both of us, it’s just really traumatizing for us to imagine having to be in this position,” he said.
The couple is unsure whether they will rebuild or find another home in Taylor. Their insurance company is working to find a rental home while they consider their options.
“Right now, we are just maintaining. We aren’t moving forward at all. We are just maintaining,” Jackson said.
The retired electrician often spent his time helping people in the community with repairs and other needs. He and his wife also volunteered in the community and spent more than 10 years working with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The couple said they have been grateful for the aid they’ve received from neighbors and others since the conflagration.
“We really got a lot of help with the community and support and it really made our hearts feel good considering all the stuff that we lost,” Jackson said.
The couple currently have a place to stay and their basic necessities, they said.
For those who want to help, the couple said the best way to support them is through a GoFundMe site, which will assist in replacing lost belongings and covering other expenses as they work out their next steps.
Donations can be made at www.gofundme. com/f/help-davidand- debbie-rebuild?cp_ src=d.
