Help Peijen's Family Restart After the LA Fires

As the Eaton wildfire moved down the hills toward their Altadena neighborhood, my dearest friend who I’ve known for over thirty years Peijen (Patti) Chen, calmly reminded her two daughters, Sydney (14) and Isadora (11) to pack their toothbrushes and chose which of their stuffies they wanted to bring because there wasn’t room in the car for all of them. Then she hurried off to gather their essential documents, and only once she was out of earshot, let the panic come into her voice. “What am I going to do? Where are we going to go?” she asked.

When Isadora appeared, Peijen masked her fear and in that tender, loving-mother-way, asked her to grab Penny’s leash. Then the girls, their beloved dog, and Peijen piled into the car, and drove past burning trees, through thick plumes of smoke, away from their beloved home and community to safety.

A therapist at a school, Peijen spends her days supporting students and families. She is compassionate wise, and a wonderful friend. She leant me the dress I wore to our high school graduation, has held me when I’ve cried, nurtured me after my first child was born, and helped me become a better sister, partner, mother, and all-around person. She extends her grace to everyone around her, especially her children.

Her two sensitive and caring daughters are facing this tragedy with courage. Sydney, who will celebrate her fifteenth birthday next month, is curious and thoughtful and loves to read and write. Isadora brings joy and creativity to everything she does, spending hours picking flowers from the garden and arranging them to make Thanksgiving beautiful. They have lost all their belongings, but most of all they have lost their happy childhood home.

While they were very fortunate to survive and fortunate to have close family friends to stay with for now, they have lost their home, the place they've lived for the last twelve years. Though insurance will help them begin again, there is still an overwhelming amount of things to figure out and pay for immediately that insurance and FEMA will not cover as they set up a temporary home for the next year or two.

Peijen spends her days caring for others, and now, she could use a little extra care and support. If you have anything to spare, please donate to help them bridge the time between the home they’ve lost and the home they will build.