DAVIE, FLA. (WSVN) - A heartbroken South Florida family has been left without a place to call home, days after, they said, a fire broke out inside their residence and destroyed everything they owned.
7News cameras captured David and Carolina Cohen going through what’s left of their home, Saturday. Soot and ashes now cover years of memories and a lifetime of hard work.
“We lost everything. We lost everything,” said David as he fought back tears. “We really did. We lost everything.”
The homeowners said their air conditioning unit caught on fire, Wednesday, leaving behind only a charred shell. No one was home at the time of the blaze, and a neighbor had to rescue the family’s dog.
“It really hurts. It really, really does, man,” said David. “I’ve been here all my life, but in this house, I’ve been here 25 years.”
The Cohens are now homeless, and without homeowners insurance, they said it’s impossible to rebuild on their own. “There is nothing left,” said Allaze Cohen the couple’s granddaughter, who also lived at the home. “The fire started in this room. We have to tear down all the walls from smoke damage. We have to rebuild like, literally, the whole house. We have to rebuild it, and that’s going to cost a lot of money.”
To make matters worse, Allaze was all set for her first day of seventh grade, but she lost all her school supplies and clothes in the blaze. “I don’t really feel like going to school,” she said. “I just want to stay with Grandma and T.T. and comfort them.”
“She has no school papers, no pencils, nothing,” said David.
The Cohens’ son, Peter Cohen, served five years in the Marine Corps and just got back from two tours in Afghanistan. He was supposed to start school soon at Broward College, but since the fire destroyed his computer and other belongings, he cannot.
Peter, who fought to protect his country on the front lines, is now trying to figure out how to fix his home that looks more like a war zone. “We could use all the help,” he said. “If you could spare anything — like I said, every penny counts. Every piece of clothing counts. We’d really appreciate it. This is very tragic.”
The Cohens are hoping that some help from the community will bring them out of the ashes and back into a place to call their own. “Hopefully, somebody can help us with building material, help with us anything possible,” said David.
“I would literally go up to the person and say, ‘Thank you, God, for this person, for donating anything,'” said Allaze.
A family member has set up a GoFundMe page to help the Cohens during this difficult time. If you would like to make a donation, click here. You may also call David at 863-212-3631 or Rudy at 954-638-4882.
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