CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WVEC) — A brother and sister are heartbroken after a house explosion took the life of their mother.
On Monday, Don and Faith Berry’s home on Lofurno Rd. in Chesapeake was turned to rubble. A gas explosion engulfed the house into flames. Don survived, but his wife, Faith, later died in the hospital.
On Thursday, their children, Don Berry Jr., and Loretta Dail visited their father in the hospital. He’s in stable condition, but they said losing their mother still doesn’t feel real.
“I’m just too young to go without a mom," said Dail.
They described feeling as if they’re living in a nightmare.
“I went to go call her last night,” said Dail. “To hear her voice.”
It’s a difficult loss their dad can’t wrap his head around while he tries to recover in the hospital.
“He knows that she’s at a funeral home, and he asked me to go with her so she wouldn’t be alone. I don’t think the reality has hit him yet,” said Dail. “We’re just going day by day, just telling him what we think he can handle.”
Now, they’re trying to help their dad get back on his feet.
“He’s got so many things to worry about right now. We’re just trying to make him see, ‘Hey, don’t worry about it. The community is gonna pull together and get you through this,” said Berry Jr.
And they have. A neighbor risked his life to physically pull the couple out of their home during the fire. Beyond that. the support from neighbors continues. On Thursday, some of them were cleaning the family’s old photographs, trying to salvage what they can.
Don is only left with a few things.
“His wallet, his truck that he can’t find the keys to, and the clothes that they cut off him when he got here. That’s pretty much it, everything else Is gone completely,” said Berry Jr.
A trust fund has been set up with TowneBank to help his dad from the loss.
The trust is called "Blessings for Don" and money can be donated at any branch or by mailing a check to TowneBank P.O. Box 2818 Norfolk, VA 23501.
Lawrence Pharmacy at 1156 George Washington Hwy N. in Chesapeake and Dewald's Diner at 3199 Bainbridge Boulevard have set up collection jars for Don.
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