KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Instead of wrapping Christmas gifts, mom of two April Antwine is wrapping her mind around her new reality.
Sunday just before 8 a.m., her home at the Orchard Apartments caught fire.
"I was just like thank you, Lord,” Antwine said through tears. “I try not to go there but sometimes I just be like why."
Antwine was sleeping when she heard people screaming. She says at first she thought someone was arguing until she entered her living room and saw flames.
“That’s when I saw my whole patio door which is connected to my front room, in a blaze. Just a full fire from the floor all the way up to the ceiling," Antwine said.
Antwine ran out of the home without socks, shoes, or a coat. She said she barely made it out in time.
KCFD said 16 adults and seven children were displaced by the fire. The cause of the fire remains undetermined, but it was determined that it started on a first-floor patio.
Antwine said her second-floor apartment was damaged the most.
“I lost everything, if it wasn't the fire damage then it was the smoke and water damage," Antwine said.
A total loss. Furniture, clothes, toys, and memories are gone. But April says she's just grateful to be alive.
"Life keeps going so you have to keep going,” said Antwine. “So, it's like how do you find time to sit and process what happened."
She's now seeking help to get back, some of what she lost, including furniture, shoes and clothes for her and her children.
"I'm in a mode where it's like OK, I lost this," said Antwine. "How do I get this back for my kids?"
Antwine is moving into a new unit next week and is hoping for a smooth fresh start.
In the meantime, she is staying with a friend, while her children stay with their father.
The family has a GoFundMe for monetary donations and/or if you want to reach out to donate items.
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