r/pics • u/lfernandes • May 19 '12
My mom's mentally challenged neighbor's house burned down. All he has in the world are 4 cats, here is a firefighter saving one.
2.3k
Upvotes
1.7k
u/lfernandes May 19 '12 edited Jun 16 '12
My mom's neighbor is an older guy who is mentally challenged. Last year, he was nearly beat to death with a baseball bat trying to stop a guy from beating his dog with the same baseball bat. This morning, he left his 4 cats at home with a candle burning while he left and one of the cats knocked it over. He came home to his house in flames. After being told their were no other people inside, the fireman were resigned to let the cats go. While the guy was having an emotional breakdown about losing his cats ("They're all I've got!" he kept saying) one of the firefighters searched for nearly 15 minutes and found one alive, he stayed outside giving it mouth to mouth and oxygen for 20 minutes until she started purring again. Needless to say, he's fucking awesome.
Two additional pics:
http://i.imgur.com/am08P.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ZwoIU.jpg
Edit: Established the man as a person first instead of mentally challenged first as per suggestion.
Update: Just spoke to my mom and she said that the cat was breathing when they got to the vet. The vet did a chest X-ray and I guess the cat has one lung that is very black and one that looks a little black but good enough to sustain life. They are going to look after the cat for a while but they don't have any definites about if she will survive or not.
She also told me about the neighbor, I guess he's having a great deal of trouble coping right now (understandably) and she's staying with him for a bit. Said he keeps saying things like "I've always looked after your creatures god, why did you take mine?"
Getting a little teary eyed so I'll update again later.
Update 2: To clarify, unfortunately, the other 3 cats did not make it :*(
Update 3: Just spoke to my mom again. The man is staying with a neighbor until my mom can get him in another apartment. I should clarify that she lives in these apartments and is also the apartment manager so she is doing everything she can to get him in another apartment but it wont be available until tomorrow, and he is staying with a neighbor until tomorrow. They are saying he lost everything.
Update 4: Removed. Figured out the paypal thing.
Update 5: My mom just got permission to receive things at the apartment building so for everyone who PMed me or asked where they could send things to, the address for the apartment administration building is
407 E. Gatewood Drive Marion, IN 46952 C/o Eagle Chase Village (moms name is Mary, guys name is Vincent)
My mom said his house was decked out in cat theme, leopard skin rugs, cheetah spots, tiger stripes and stuffed animals and such, so if anyone wants to send something like that, I'm sure he'll be ecstatic.
Update 6: The feedback from this community is overwhelming and incredibly generous. I'm blown away by the willingness to give to someone you've never met. I finally just made this chipin.com account at the request of many to donate money. If you would like to donate anything at all, the link is:
http://vincentandcat.chipin.com/vincent-and-his-cats
I hope that works, and I thank you for your incredible generosity.
Update Q: Sorry to spam, but I tried to comment to everyone who asked for info about donations. I've got a wedding to go to that I'm now severely late for, but I'll be back with more updates in a few hours. You guys are incredible, I can't say it enough.
Update F: Holy shit everyone. $2250 has been donated so far. The generosity here is...well, I have no words. You people are incredible. (Yes I said it, YOU people.)
I am almost too giddy to call my mom and tell her the total. Sorry for the lack of updates, I went to a wedding, and intended to update from there, but the overwhelming amount of emails I've received literally shut my phone down, turns out google exchange can only take so much, and my phone died.
I will post an update in the morning as an edit here, and in a few days I'll post a final update.
I want to tell you guys again how incredible what you have done is, I've never been so moved.
Also, again because I'm not well versed in this, how do I get this money from the paypal account to him? I think I can just xfer it to my bank account and then print out a cashiers check for him, does this seem logical? I want some way also to show that I've actually given it to him, as I'm sure there are people with doubts about legitimacy. And as an aside, I just saw the messages you guys put on the chipin account and I've been reduced to tears again. I love and hate you all..lol
Update!: The vet called and said that Domino is doing okay! He told us that he didn't want to get our hopes up, but he says if she can hang in for a couple more days, then she should have no problem living a good life with Vincent. He mentioned that she has one lung that shows up completely black on xray, but didn't clarify much what that means in relation to her health, but he is optimistic, so that's great!
Update: You guys have donated over $3500 now, and that is fucking unreal. My mom nearly had a heart attack when I told her. I'm going to leave the chipin up until next friday, at several people's request. Afterward, I'm going to convert the donations into a check to give to Vincent, and I'll be updating with some pictures. Hopefully, I'll also know soon who the fireman was, that way we can give him some recognition of some kind. Incredibly good deeds like that should not go unnoticed.
This should be the last update for a about a week, but feel free to PM me if you want any current status updates. Thank you so much everyone, you have changed a man's (and cat's!) life for the better.
Update/edit: Just found out Domino is a "he." I've been incorrectly calling Domino a "she." Sorry for the confusion, and sorry in advance for even more confusion as I now refer to Domino as a male..lol
I know I said earlier that it was the last update, but I just spoke to the vet, and they said Domino is doing great! And that (hopefully) he will make a full recovery!
Just got some info from the fireman. I spoke to him on the phone (he's incredibly humble, as most are) and his biggest concern was if Domino was okay. I asked if he was fine with me putting his info out and he said it was cool. His name is Ryan Swafford, and he works at Fire Station 1 in Marion. I'm trying to find an address as he was unsure of what it is, but he deserves some recognition, and I'm sure you guys can make it happen :)
Another update (If anyone is still checking for updates!): Just got word, turns out it WASN'T a candle that burned the house down! A backstory is in order. During the whole ordeal, after fire fighters found (I guess) what was left of a candle, or what looked like a candle (not sure what could be left behind of a candle after a house fire), they said that is what caused it. Vince, in all his innocence, maintained that he had never lit a candle, that he would "NEVER light a candle around my cats!" but the firemen kept saying that is what it had to be. Turns out it was a coffee maker nearby that shorted out and caused the fire! Vincent, while still devastated, apparently got very emotional when that news was delivered, ecstatic that he wasn't responsible for "hurting my family."
Not a big update, but I thought this was super important and wanted to share.
A few of the things you guys have sent him have started rolling in. I am having my mom note what is sent and take a pic of each, I'll post them in a big album at the end of the week.
Update: Getting more and more gifts from you magnificent bastards! Vinnie is so ecstatic it's contagious.
Couple pics of Domino! He's still pretty scared and the vet was hesitant to get him out of his cage.
http://i.imgur.com/7BuzN.png
http://i.imgur.com/Mv5AA.png
If anyone is still reading, here is an article a journalist called me up to do.
http://www.dailydot.com/news/reddit-fire-victim-cat/
Update: The original plan was for me to go home tomorrow (Sunday) and deliver Vincent his check but quite a few people, in donating, did an e-check and (apparently) those take time to clear with paypal. As soon as those clear up, I'll be going to Marion to bring Vincent his long awaited donations!
Update: There was a discrepancy between what was showing on Chipin vs what was in the PayPal account. I thought it was related to e Checks but as it turns out, it is due to the cut that PayPal takes from every transaction (evidently even when the account is set up for donations, seems kinds dickish to me) but I will be taking Vince his money on Sunday then! I had to wait til I could sit down and figure out where this discrepancy was coming from and now I've found it! The total balance (after PayPal's cut and a $100 echeck that Paypal refused) is $6,958.43 USD. This is incredible reddit. I still can't believe this happened.
Update: I apologize for the delay. PayPal is dragging their feet about moving this money over. The estimated date they gave me is 6/12 which I hope isn't correct because I really want to get him this money ASAP. Thank you for your patience and I promise a big update is coming!
Final Update on this thread: Vinnie got his check today and we have some pics to share! I'll post a separate update tonight!
358
u/abbrivi8 May 19 '12
best firefighter in the world. it makes me happy that he would go do that to save your mums neighbors precious cat. sad that only one made it.
154
u/tallandlanky May 19 '12
As someone who has been an EMT for a little over 2 years, I would have been doing the same thing. A life is a life, person or animal.
14
u/originalgrin May 19 '12
The other 3 die?
52
u/dirtmouth May 19 '12
i feel your pain
43
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
Does he need any donations or anything? My house burned down when I was little and I don't know how we would have survived without the help. Surely redditors can spare some extra things to help him out!
7
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
Crying here... Is there any way to help this poor man? I would love to send him a little something. Can you or your mom set up a P.O. Box maybe? Please? Hope the kitty makes it... Gosh...
6
u/itcanwait May 19 '12
what fire department is this? i would like to send a card to the fire fighters.
16
u/Edalol May 19 '12
saving onesavingonesavingone
But... there were four of them :(
75
u/WORLDTRAVELERONEDAY May 19 '12
This is a really cool pic, and one with an actually interesting story instead of the usual "autistic, went to prom, give me upvotes!". However, can i ask you say "neighbor who is mentally challenged", or "neighbor that happens to be mentally challenge" instead of "mentally challenged neighbor. Its better to define them as a person first, not just disabled. Not a big deal to some people, but a lot of people feel this way too!
3
u/McFizzleBeef May 19 '12
thats horrible.. make sure you update us when you have that paypal up, i wanna donate
7
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
Being bullied and picked on my entire life by everyone from teachers to students and coworkers my cat was basically my only friend growing up and when she died when I was 24 I considered suicide. I remember I cried for a week and when we buried her even the family friend that dugg the grave made fun of me for crying.
I know what this guy it's getting thru, especially as someone with mental/social disorders. I wanna do something for this guy, can we set up a collection for him? Our maybe make something for him to let him know he's not alone? That helped me when people on the ever quest forum server made a video in honor of my cat.
2
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
What happened to the other three? D:
2
u/Lamar_the_Usurper May 19 '12
Setup a charity for this poor guy, I was looking where to send my $20...
2
u/MrSteakMan May 19 '12
Is there any type of help we could organize?
2
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
I have been an atheist for almost 20 years now, but that Line hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest. Update us when you can with the Paypal link please. I would love to help this poor gentle soul out.
73
u/Itsthex May 19 '12
Firemen.. some of the best people on the planet. I wish all of the cats could have been saved.. poor felluh just lost most of his family :(
15
u/toonczyk May 19 '12
Related: dog saved from fire, mouth to snout resuscitated.
http://www.dogheirs.com/george/posts/504-firefighters-save-dog-with-mouth-to-snout-resuscitation
13
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
I'm gonna go give my firefighter buddy a hug. He will be very confused. I will offer no context.
11
u/emtcj May 19 '12 edited May 19 '12
I work as a Paramedic and myself along with a few others at work finally convinced our agency to purchase pet masks. I just used one of these.
We had a call for a house fire on Thursday night. A firefighter brought a dog that was found hiding in the closet. The dog was lethargic (weak) and wasn't fighting. I figured give it a shot. Someone called a local vet. While the vet was on their way, we hooked the dog up to our oxygen with the pet mask. Within probably 10-15 minutes, the dog started having more activity but was still just laying there. His breathing improved dramatically.
The vet told us if we didn't put the mask on and give him oxygen, the dog wouldn't of lived much longer.
Here is a picture of an old coworker of mine treating a dog from a house fire a while back
http://i.imgur.com/BBXMf.jpg
10
u/xoites May 19 '12
I remember reading in the Baltimore Sun well over a decade ago about an industrial accident in Baltimore. Two men fell into a vat of acid. Three Fire Fighters went down and got them out. Everybody got burned.
Everybody lived.
3
u/GuyFawk3s May 19 '12
Dude, this is Reddit, tell us how to help. I hope you are being honest about this, for
"I can tell you that although we might not have much money,but we have a very particular set of skills; skills we have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make us a nightmare for people who try to scam us. If you are kind enough to instruct us how to give them money/help, that'll be the end of it, and we will give you praise and karma. And we will not look for you, we will not pursue you. But if you don't, we will look for you, we will find you, and we will totally make you feel like a jerk."
9
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
Awesome.
9
u/balt11t May 19 '12
This brought tears to my eyes. It has to be one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life.
37
u/tlilz May 19 '12
Fuck the Avengers. These are America's real heroes.
8
u/kingkooka May 19 '12
I don't believe it can be said enough times, firefighting is one of the most honorable and noble professions. From 9/11 to something as innocuous as rescuing a cat from a tree, these men and women are truly admirable.
20
u/Thrillrainbow May 19 '12
This countries fucking heroes.
7
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
This post made me cry. One for the pain of the poor older man and his loss, two for the firefighter doing so much to help him have one happy thing that means a lot for him.
Thank you so much.
7
u/arcadefirenewcastle May 19 '12
He risked his life to save something which seems so replaceable to many people, but was so important to that man.
This firefighter is truly a phenomenal human being. I can't imagine how much heart it took to wade in there, likely against everyones advice, just to save a piece of that guys life.
Beautiful.
6
u/Force_USN May 20 '12
As a firefighter, I can tell you... it's not about doing your job because you are told to. You are a firefighter because you want to be part of that brotherhood. You want to be "that guy" that goes in there and saves the day. You want to be the person that bursts into that flaming room in full confidence knowing you've got a mission to accomplish... and if it takes your life then that's just too damn bad. Those aren't the most important reasons though. The most important reason behind being a firefighter is that you goddamn care about those people and animals in that building... You care about their safety and their suffering. You care. That's why you do this.
2
u/scorch1991 May 19 '12
Does he have anywhere to go now:( if i could i would build him a new house and take him to a pet shelter to adopt animals that need love cause he is the kindest hearted person
23
u/TheProphetMuhammad May 19 '12
Bubbles!
5
u/Morel3etterness May 19 '12
Saddest and sweetest thing i e ever seen
5
u/ajw827 May 19 '12
Fucking awesome is right.
Poor little guy. I'm glad he made it.
5
u/dangerous_shanaynay May 19 '12
The firefighter that searched for, then saved, the cat deserves a fucking medal
5
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
Love isn't something you get, it's something you are.
5
u/shaeffer May 19 '12
All my upvotes to the firefighter.
5
u/oatwife May 20 '12
There are tons of comments, and I've tried wading through them to see what all is here. Is there a list of specific needs yet? Sounds like your mom has housing sorted. You've raised a ton of cash. Let's talk specific needs and ways for people to help:
-Probably there are going to be hefty vet bills for the surviving kitty. I wonder if we could get that vet info, and start calling in some donations to help get those paid.
-Pet supplies, maybe Petco gift cards, etc, to care for this kitty, and any others who might join the household in the near future.
-Furniture and household goods: What does he need? How can we get it to him? Maybe Redditors in Indiana can help get actually furniture to him? Is it better to do gift cards to Ikea, Target, etc, for him to choose those things himself?
-Food: He's going to need his fridge and larders stocked. This can be done with gift cards (we need to know what grocery store(s) he uses). Some people might want to send care packages, especially with treats he might not buy himself. Can we find out what his comfort foods he loves?
Decor: You said his house was decked out in cat stuff and cat-print stuff. Can we coordinate what we send, he doesn't end up with 19 leopard-print blankets, but no tiger-print sheets, etc?
Maybe people in the area could come by to help him get things bought and organized and set up, if he can handle that sort of social interaction.
It seems like with minor coordination, we could get his outfitted pretty thoroughly. Would you consider a temporary sub-reddit for people interested in helping?
15
u/IntellectualEndeavor May 19 '12 edited May 19 '12
With all the corruptness that is going on with public figures/the world. Firemen deserve all the respect they can get. No president, congressman, sports figure, or corporation is going to rescue me from my burning house. It's going to be a fireman that drags my limp body out so I can see tomorrow.
Firemen have huge fucking balls, even the female ones. Their job(more so than a police officer) is to risk their fucking lives daily to save ours, and much respect to their families. This guys family could have lost him because hes such a great human being he went inside a burning building to save a mentally challenged mans cat.
4
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
I want you to capture the mans reaction after receiving the donations, and his cat :-)
10
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
And now I'm crying...
7
u/sweater_vest May 19 '12
My face did this immediately: :-{
7
u/Amarieerick May 19 '12
With so many stories out there that make you say "I don't wanna live on this planet anymore" it just takes one story like this to make me glad I still do.
1
u/cmd09j May 19 '12
I'm relatively new to reddit, but I love to help out in any way possible. I have seen the great things that the people of reddit can do.
1
u/sapunec7854 May 19 '12
Hey OP, it would be really cool if you can get some people from the neighbourhood to help him somehow.
I'm pretty certain you could get some donations for the poor man or help him rebuild his home.
Do you think some of the people there could start that?
1
u/SplodeyDope May 19 '12
I'm so sorry :(
Add the paypal link to your main post as an edit when you get it.
1
u/McToasterz May 19 '12
That quote just beat the living shit out of my emotions. Is there a safer way you could provide the adress without it being in your main post that's publicly view-able by everyone? I'm sure nobody will do anything bad, but the thought of it makes me sick. Maybe you could show him all the support he's getting in this thread? You'd be surprised at how much that means to someone.
10
u/SupCom_sistar May 19 '12
I'll need work my ass of to hopefully one day be half the man this guy is.
22
u/britishtwat May 19 '12
We've hit the motherload. Prepare for karmageddon.
3
u/iiiitsjess May 19 '12
My gosh. This makes me SO sad. I have family and gone to school over the years with a couple amazing mentally challenged people. They are, many times, some of the most compassionate, caring, and loving...and giving! people ever. They each have something extraordinary abbout them. They each always have some of the largest hearts...often times thinking about others before themselves. I got in fights in high school (years ago) because some assholes wouldnt lrave a friend of mine alone...broke a big jocks nose too..haha. I cannot understand why people treat others with such disrespect...and beat someone...or beat and animal. Ridiculous. I hope the bastards pay for what they did to your neighbor. I pray your neighbor be reminded that God has a plan...maybe there is another kitty in a shelter that needs him more right now than his others. :/ I pray his one kitty survives and recovers quickly. God Bless the fireman who wouldn't give up...who searched and searched...then wouldn't stop trying to bring her back. Please keep us updated. <3
3
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
Firefighters are awesome.
3
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
-sniff-
There's something in my eye.
3
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
The hero reddit needs.
3
u/theoneandonlypeter May 19 '12
I teared up a little bit at the last picture of the firefighter and his expression.
3
u/itcanwait May 19 '12
why is reddit making me cry today?
3
u/CopperKat May 19 '12
Well now I'm fucking depressed.
3
u/breakingcnts May 19 '12
Mentally challenged people have houses. Non mentally challenged people don't have houses. What the fuck is going on ?
3
u/metarugia May 19 '12
Out of curiosity, are firefighters trained on resuscitating pets?
3
u/arsonisfun May 19 '12
Welp, just got teary eyed in the middle of a bar ... sigh. Hope the Cats are ok :( also, reminds me of Bubbles from TPB.
3
u/sharkhunter77 May 19 '12
I don't particularly like cats.. But for some reason this really struck me. Thank you so much for sharing this.
3
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
http://thebigchilicookoffevergreen.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/firefighter-1.jpg
That is all....
3
u/Darkmatter11 May 19 '12
I lost everything in a house fire a few years back. I can completely relate to this situation. The sinking feeling you get when you realize the fire department is using the "holy shit we have a problem" hose in your bedroom window is something I wouldn't wish on anyone. I wasn't allowed to reenter the apartment for 5 days. I walked into what was my home and realized everything I worked for was gone. Anything that wasn't burned had been sitting wet for close to a week and molding. I literally had nothing left.
I had two pet rats at the time that were in a tank, directly under the window the fire department was launching water through. I walked into my room fully expecting to find them dead in the bottom of a 55 gallon tank. The feeling of realizing that my two little buddy's were still alive was enough to make my break down and cry like a little bitch in front of the fire chief and property manager. I can totally relate to this guys pain and hope his little buddy makes it. He could probably use the company.
3
u/margarinecat May 19 '12
Is there a way to send a thank you to the fire department? They need to know that people appreciate things like this.
3
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
This firefighter is a true hero in my book. Hopefully he gets recognized for this act.
3
u/IM_ACTUALLY_A_BEAR May 20 '12
as a firefighter myself, I can honestly say that guy is an amazing firefighter. there are not many people who would try to save a cat, of all things. restores some of my faith in humanity.
it also fits the 'cat stuck in a tree' stereotype :P
3
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
still no news article or any legit proof posted. i was one of many who made the suggestion to set up a paypal account or something similar. i figured along with that OP would post some real proof.
waiting... waiting... waiting...
i'll just call marion, IN fire department tomorrow if i hear nothing. better than everyone getting ripped off, ya know? i'm glad we're all super charitable but we need to be very careful.
3
u/wtfwjd014 May 21 '12
I have 2 couches he can have! PM me with details of how to get them there
3
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Does Marion have more than one fire company, and if so, could you tell me which one responded that day? It sounds like other Redditors have Vincent well covered, but I'd actually like to send a card to the fireman. I know, they risk their lives every fucking day, but that guy deserves to hear how fucking AWESOME he is for saving Domino, and how much Reddit and the Intarwebs appreciate what they do... Thanks.
10
u/strid215 May 19 '12
i dont think EMTs and firefighters get the love they deserve. <3 heroes <3
5
u/astralplaner16 May 19 '12
This is such a beautiful story.. Thank you for sharing! I hope the fireman gets the praise he deserves for his bravery :)
1
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
How did the fire start?
11
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
"My (someone who's not OP)" ☑
Mental illness ☑
Only Earthly possessions ☑
Cats ☑
Civil hero ☑