SCHERTZ, Texas — At 96-years-young, Celia Fernandez Ochoa is keeping strong with a little help from the community.
“I feel fine,” Ochoa said.
It was April 6 when Ochoa lost her San Antonio home in a fire at 806 Britton Ave. Flames and smoke packed the house as Ochoa’s daughter Celia Garcia came to the rescue.
“I ran in there to assist mom and I told her we gotta get out of there, so I went into the kitchen area to see where the smoke was coming from and it was coming from the laundry area,” Garcia said.
Garcia said a faulty dryer sparked the fire, leading to thousands of dollars in damage. The family home was filled with more than 60 years of memories.
“We were always at the house. My husband did a lot,” Ochoa said.
Her husband was Raul Ochoa, a proud veteran who died in 2011 at 89 years old.
“We have very loving parents. My dad was a World War II veteran and he believed in respect,” Garcia said.
On Saturday, family and friends paraded down the street in Schertz, honking their horns, holding balloons out the window in celebration of Ochoa’s birthday.
Ochoa has been staying with loved ones while waiting for her wish of raising enough funds to rebuild her home comes true.
“I hope they will fix it,” Ochoa said.
“She has told myself and my son that she wants to live there for the rest of their life and the day that the Lord calls her, she wants to be there and die there in that home, not in a hospital, not in anybody else’s home but her own home,” Garcia said.
Family noted the burned-down home was not insured a the time of the fire.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the community to contribute toward rebuilding expenses. Click here to learn more.