By Sheree Hoddinett
Mary Ritchie is going through one of the toughest chapters in her life, but somehow she still manages to smile.
Mary and her son Ashley found themselves homeless following a devastating fire at their Coolgarra Avenue home on September 7. Now, they’re both facing the harsh reality that their future in the place they have lovingly called home for many years has pretty much gone up in smoke.
The fire started from a toaster and within minutes it took hold, leaving Mary and Ashley escaping the inferno with nothing but the clothes they had on at the time. It’s a night that will forever be etched in Mary’s mind.
“I remember screaming to Ashley, because his bedroom is right near the kitchen and nothing usually wakes him up, but this time it did,” Mary recalls. “He came running and by the time we went from the kitchen to the front door, the fire had already spread and by the time we got up the road, the flames were coming out the front door, all from a toaster!
“It can happen so easily, that's the scary part isn't it? And I’ve thought so many times since it happened about what I could have done differently, where should I have put that toaster so that never happened?”
Mary bought the house 10 years ago after the breakdown of a marriage and she was ready to move forward and start a new chapter in her life.
“When I first moved into this house and when I started hanging pictures, with my own newly bought drill and hammer and tools and all that, colour coordinating what I wanted and doing things my way, it felt like it was my space,” Mary said. “As soon as I hit the footpath that night after running out of the house, my legs started collapsing underneath me, I cried there and then. I was hoping it wasn't real. You know when you go through something so bad your mind starts to protect you. I was thinking, I must be in a nightmare.”
Despite the doom and gloom, there is a bit of a silver lining, with Mary having been able to retrieve some personal items that weren’t too badly damaged in the fire.
“I do believe in miracles and I feel that someone was looking after me in that respect,” Mary said. “Some photos, my kids report cards and some other items managed to escape being burnt and it’s amazing to see that.”
With the help of Crisis Housing, Mary and Ashley were able to stay at the Bribie Island Hotel, a place that has become their home away from home for the short term, until they were able to find out what was happening with the house.
You could say that 2024 hasn’t been the greatest year for Mary. On top of the house fire, it was only a few months ago that Mary had an accident, breaking her wrist in multiple places as well. Due to the current cost of living and only having the age pension as an income (Mary is 69 and retired), she unfortunately had to let her insurance lapse, meaning she now has to cover the entire cost of rebuilding her home not only financially, but emotionally as well. Her daughter Melissa has started a GoFundMe page for those in the community who would like to help Mary.
“I know it's depending on the charity of others, but I'm praying that I'll get enough to help,” Mary said. “Unfortunately I didn’t have insurance and that’s another blow for me, but times are tough for everyone out there and I just couldn’t afford it.”
Although she’s been through a lot, Mary has nothing but appreciation for everyone out there that has been involved, from the night of the fire onwards.
“To the firefighters risking their own lives for hours, what heroes! And the paramedics who made sure I was okay and tried to keep me from going into shock,” Mary said. “But more than any one single person...... my son Ashley. He got me out of there in the blink of an eye!
“To all my neighbours, some I know and others who were strangers until that night, thank you all for everything you have done for myself and Ashley, including the cups of tea and coffee, the comfort and all the other help you have given us.
“To the churches who helped us with clothing and taking donations as well. The Bri-BEE MAN who came to save the hive of bees that were settled in my walls for the last 12 months and I have been unable to afford to get them removed, so he has done it for free for me, he is a lovely man.”
But above all else, Mary is extremely grateful to her siblings, grandchildren and of course, her own children.
“My heartfelt thanks go to my siblings for their love and their practical support,” she said. “Since the fire, all of my children have gotten together to rally to help me in every possible way. No mum can be more proud of her children than I am right now.
“From my eldest son Christopher taking up the big brother role and organising clean up days with his siblings to buying me boots so I can walk into my burnt house. My eldest daughter Melissa setting up the GoFundMe page, helping Ashley and I out and being there to support us with love, compassion and propping me up with her sense of humour, I love it so much.
“To Natalie and her husband Ben who can't be here because of distance but has helped in so many other ways and to my son Aiden and his new partner who came to help with the clean-up, Ashley and I are deeply moved and feel surrounded by support.
“A big thank you also to those who have already donated their hard-earned dollars into my GoFundMe, it means so much to me. Thank you from the bottoms of our hearts.”
At the beginning of October, a building inspector gave Mary some pretty grim news, the house isn’t in great shape.
“The roof is condemned and we were advised not to enter the house,” Mary sent in a message. “The roof must be removed before the walls can be looked at and they need to check the eaves for the possibility of asbestos. Termite damage was found in the walls.
“At this stage, I honestly don’t know what’s happening, it’s thrown me into shock!”
If you are able to help Mary in any way, please visit the GoFundMe page via
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