Jordyn dangled the children out of the second-floor window for him to catch. She jumped. Then they moved the children over a ledge and across porches to a waiting next-door neighbor as the couple watched their townhouse go up in flames.

Firefighters and police quickly arrived, and an ambulance escorted the family to a hospital, where they all spent several hours recovering from smoke inhalation. “Miraculously we suffered no burns, cuts, broken bones or lung damage,” Jordyn recalled. Rescue workers resuscitated two of their four cats, and their puppy managed to exit the home while television news cameras rolled. But two of their cats died in the blaze. Everything in the house was lost.catch. She jumped. Then they moved the children over a ledge and across porches to a waiting next-door neighbor as the couple watched their townhouse go up in flames.

That night of May 5^th, 2024, marked the beginning of the family’s long journey toward recovery. They moved to the house of Jordyn’s father, where on the first night after the fire she got a phone call from the American Red Cross. A volunteer, named Willie, and another Red Cross volunteer met the family the following day to give them personal care kits, blankets, a long list of resources where they could find help, financial assistance for their immediate needs and later vouchers for prescription glasses for Anderson.

“To my surprise, Willie came back the next day carrying Build-A-Bear toys for both kids,” Jordyn recalled. In 2017, Build-A-Bear Foundation™ began providing toys to the Red Cross to distribute during disaster-relief operations throughout the year. The foundation has donated thousands of bears to several Red Cross Disaster Field Supply Centers.

“At the time, I could not fully describe to Willie how much this meant to my family,” Jordyn said. “This was the first ‘stuffy’ my kiddos had replaced, and my daughter gave hers the biggest hug. Build-A- Bear is a huge part of my family.” Her children once had several Build-A-Bears, each with their own outfits and accessories, each representing a special time in their lives.

“Receiving those bears really healed a part of me and let me know everything was eventually going to be okay,” she said. In the days following the fire, she received an outpouring of help from family members and friends, who also set up a GoFundMe social media platform, raising $26,000. “I have so many incredible co-workers, friends and family members to be thankful for,” said Jordyn. “My father’s garage is so filled with contributions, it looks like a Goodwill store.”

The organization where Jordyn worked at the time of the fire also showed its appreciation to the American Red Cross as her co-workers joined together to assemble 76 emergency kits for the Red Cross to give to individuals impacted by home fires and other disasters.

Despite the support, recovery has not been easy. The family has navigated all the demands of finding housing, moving from her father’s basement to a hotel room and then to a rental house. They have had to replace everything from kitchen appliances to clothing. Some items were irreplaceable. “I had a hand-made quilt from my great-grandmother, who watched me when my parents worked. She was a big part of my life as a child and teenager, so the quilt was precious, I recovered it from the ashes, even though it is damaged. However, I can’t find any company that will agree to clean it.”

Over the last eight months, Jordyn has also spent hours endlessly tallying losses, filing paperwork and calling insurers and other agencies. Only recently have crews cleaned out the townhouse and begun the year-long rebuild.

“The American Red Cross will always be very special to me, and I’m very grateful for everything they provided to my family. The compassion of Red Cross volunteers not only helped us get back on our feet, but truly strengthened our spirits. I will never be able to fully express my gratitude for the endless support we have received from so many people in our community.”

If you would like to help people, like the Johnstone family, through their toughest times, consider becoming a Disaster Action Team volunteer. For more information, visit redcross.org/volunteer.