Distraught woman whose house burned down gets uplifting surprise
UPDATE: Dec. 7, 2016, 11:50 a.m. EST Updated to include quotes from Justin Khoo and Christina Jeffrey.
A massive fire destroyed eight buildings in Cambridge, Massachusetts, including the home of cat owner Christina Jeffrey, who got an uplifting surprise after the blaze was knocked down Saturday.
Despite the tragic loss of Jeffrey's home, firefighters were able to save her two cats, Mac and Cheese. Jeffrey was overjoyed to see her pets again amid the chaos, and Justin Khoo, an MIT professor who lived nearby, captured the reunion in a touching video.
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"I was documenting the damage that had been caused to my neighbors' homes by the fire. I didn't expect to capture such a touching moment!" Khoo wrote in an email to Mashable.
"We didn't know each other prior to my filming the video. I live in the neighborhood and was filming the damage caused by the fire when I serendipitously caught the emotional scene," Khoo explained to Mashable. "I caught up with her after the event and we have been in touch."
Mashable also spoke with Jeffrey about what the experience was like. She said:
The fire in Cambridge was massive and some of my neighbors have lost everything. The sheer magnitude of the fire is still difficult to comprehend, but what continues to be the biggest shock of all is that no people lost their lives. No firefighters or police officers were seriously harmed trying to protect us. Above all else, I am thankful for that. Once I had located neighbors and confirmed all were accounted for I focused panic on my cats... stuck inside my home which was very badly affected. We waited all night... it was a miserable night. My mother (the tiny woman you see waving her hand to get some attention) waved down police and fire. The building was unsafe and I'm not sure but I think perhaps still smoking. A fireman went in with one of my sweatshirts and I was sure he'd come out with nothing or with dead cats. I said if there was a chance they were alive, they'd be hiding in my closet in an area of my house that was not as badly burned.
Then, the fireman brought Mac and Cheese to safety.
"He reappeared from around the corner with a very alive (and shocked) Cheese! I screamed... He got a little closer and said something like, 'The black one's in there and he's alive too.' ...then I lost it," Jeffrey told Mashable. "Both came out unharmed, a little pissed off and very hungry... They hid for 20ish hours..through that devastating fire."
Another friend of Jeffrey's shared the video to Reddit.
"My friend's house was involved in a massive fire. She didn't think her cats survived. Here she is finding them alive!" her friend wrote.
"Really puts things into perspective," the friend continued in a comment. "She didn't even care about her house being gone, she just was happy her kitties were ok."
Redditors were moved by the video.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by city officials to help those affected by the fire.
"Firefighters from nearly 20 communities helped to battle a 10-Alarm fire in Cambridge involving eight buildings," the GoFundMe campaign reads. "Mayor E. Denise Simmons has established a Mayor's Fire Relief Fund to assist the families and individuals directly impacted by this devastating fire."
The campaign has already surpassed its goal of $500,000.
"These little guys bring me so much warmth and comfort," Jeffrey told Mashable. "Now and again when I'm feeling sad that most material things I have are gone, they remind me I still have everything I need: Family, friends, neighbors and a couple of VERY alive purring fuzzballs! If the video can bring a little bit of light to those who are struggling, I'm happy."
Sophie was a Viral Content Intern for the Watercooler channel. More writing and other stuff by Sophie can be found at www.sophiehirsh.com.
