Take a moment to look around at your current surroundings. If you are at home you might be seeing things like furniture, clothing, dishes, and, more than likely, a few photographs. A young Kingwood couple no longer has any of these things after their mobile home burned to the ground during a fire on Feb. 10. That blaze destroyed their home and damaged several others nearby.
Not only did James Westbrook and Maggie Savage lose their Morgan Street home and all of their belongings, they almost lost their lives due to them being home when the fire began. Their beloved dogs, Nova and Fluffy were also lost in the fire.
James and Maggie were both severely burned in the blaze and had to be flown to the burn unit at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh. According to social media posts from family and friends, James has since been released from the hospital but Maggie remains there having had severe damage to her lungs from trying to call out during the fire.
Amanda Savage, Maggie’s mother, has been keeping friends and family updated daily on Maggie’s condition via social media and over the past few days the posts have gotten more hopeful. One post indicating Maggie she had been removed from the ventilator and on Monday her mom wrote, “I got to hear my baby girls voice!!!!!!”
Family and friends of the couple are trying to help in whatever ways they can.
They have secured a storage shed in Kingwood to collect donations that have been gathered for the pair. Amanda said she has also opened a bank account in the couple’s names ensuring all monetary donations go to them.
Those close to the victims have been making a huge effort to collect things like clothing and other donations to help them recover. A fundraiser dinner will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 26 at the River Road Volunteer Fire Department, 1701 River Road in Morgantown.
Maggie is a daughter of a River Road firefighter, Tommy Shumiloff, and granddaughter of Jeanette Clark Shumiloff.
Clothing is still needed for both James and Maggie. James wears men’s 34X32L pants, large or extra large shirts and size 11 shoes. Maggie needs a size large in tights or sweatpants, shirt size large and size 8 shoes. They could also use items like dishes, silverware and furniture.
Collection jars have also been placed at several local businesses around Kingwood, including Tractor Supply, Smoker Friendly, Little Ceasars, Robert’s Towing and Recovery, Advanced Auto, Save-a-Lot, the Beauty Barn and the Kingwood Public Library.
The dinner at River Road VFD will feature choice of grilled or smoked chicken, baked beans, mac and cheese and a drink, according to the fire department Facebook page. The dinner will cost $12 and all of the proceeds will go to James and Maggie.
If you have items you would like to donate to the couple, message Maggie’s mother, Amanda Savage on Facebook to arrange a time to drop them off. If you are interested in attending the fundraiser dinner you are able to pre-order by calling Mickey at 304-288-5015 or Debbie at 304-288-4063.
