After the heroes in the rubber boots saved her family’s house and her “fishies” during a co-op complex fire in May, six-year-old Leila Gonzalez has donated half of her birthday money to the Seymour/Deep Cove fire hall.
Leila was living at the River Woods Housing Co-op in the Parkgate area when the large blaze broke out just after 8 p.m. on May 7.
“I was really scared because it (the fire) was on my friend’s house and our house, and it was big,” she recalled. “And my fishies were still in the house, but one of the firefighters saved my fishies.”
It was a chaotic scene as heavy smoke filled the complex and loud alarm bells rang while disoriented residents ran out of their homes. Leila remembers her brother walking around outside barefoot in his pyjamas.
Six months later and Leila’s family is among 16 River Woods’ families still displaced by the fire. Leila learned that her home sustained a lot of fire and water damage and many treasured items were lost.
“I lost my favourite picture of flowers and it was pink and I got it from Ikea and it was so pretty and it had butterflies,” she said. “I lost all my puzzles, and I love puzzles.”
Yet, when Leila’s sixth birthday rolled around on Oct. 16, she wasn’t thinking about replacing her toys, but instead asked those coming to her Minion-themed party to donate money.
Two days later Leila, with $71 dollars in her pocket, marched over to the fire hall on Mount Seymour Parkway to donate half her birthday money to the heroes who helped her family on that frightening May evening.
The captain of the fire hall, Greg Roberts, says he was taken aback by Leila’s generosity. He thought the Grade 1 Dorothy Lynas elementary student only showed up to the fire hall for a tour, not realizing Leila was there to donate birthday money to the District of North Vancouver Firefighters Charitable Society.
“That’s huge,” said Roberts. “The fact that it came from a six-year-old, that’s an enormous example.”
The firefighters’ charity supports North Shore non-profits, such as North Shore Rescue. Roberts recalls the firefighters’ fund supporting a young kid in the Seymour area suffering from a serious illness by building a play structure in the kid’s backyard.
Leila, her family and relatives received a full tour of the station and took turns spraying the big fire hoses.
It was a cathartic experience for Leila, who was traumatized for months after the fire, according to her mom, Clarke. The youngster has since learned that loud emergency vehicle sirens shouldn’t be scary because they signal help is on the way.
“And now whenever I see firefighters or ambulance, I say: ‘Go ambulance!’ or ‘Go firefighters!’” said Leila.
Clarke couldn’t be prouder of her daughter’s selflessness.
“I think it’s pretty special,” she said. “I mean, it’s really meaningful. Leila’s personality is really great in the sense that she thinks about other people.”
To recognize Leila’s outstanding generosity, the firefighters invited her on Oct. 27 back to the fire hall where she received two DNV firefighters’ T-shirts, a toque, a Dalmatian stuffie and a letter of thanks.
Leila and her family hope to return home to River Woods next summer.
