Help the Radstroms Repair Their Multigenerational Home

The Radstrom family is one of the many victims of the Palisades Fire. This is the family’s 3rd time being hit by wildfires as their original home and the grandparent’s home across the street were both destroyed in the Malibu fires of '93. 32 years later, they are again victims of another fire. They have lived on the property since the 1970s and 3 generations currently share the home.

I (Daria) am starting this gofundme on their behalf because Kira has been my best friend since we were 3 years old. We met at the Carden Preschool on Las Flores when my family moved to Malibu, and have been friends ever since.

When we were young, her family lived in a trailer while her father and grandfather, Ron and Stu, worked together to rebuild their family’s two destroyed homes. Kira was only 1 year old when the ’93 fire happened, and after 6 years of rebuilding, the 2 Radstrom families moved into their new homes across the street from one another.

Unfortunately, Kira, Yoshimi (mother), and Ron had to move out of the home they worked so hard to build due to financial hardship in 2005. In 2010, Ron & Yoshimi moved into the grandparent’s home and Kira joined in 2014. In 2021, Kira married Darrell in the backyard of the Radstrom family home. Darrell moved in and the house became a multigenerational home of 5 + their dog, Ulli.

The house has become the family’s safe haven as life has taken them on all their separate journeys. Kira is a nurse at UCLA working in the oncology unit. When she’s not taking care of patients, she’s home helping take care of her grandfather, Stu, who is now 98 with Alzheimer’s. Darrell works remotely from home and he and Ron spend their free time maintaining and repairing the property. Yoshimi spends her time looking after Stu and runs her own reworked vintage clothing business from home.

THEIR CURRENT SITUATION: The house is still standing. However everything surrounding it is demolished: their trailer, all their cars, the storage container filled will cherished belongings, Ron’s workshop, their propane and septic system — all the support systems they depend on. The house is saturated with smoke and ash, and the smell of chemicals fills the air. Yoshimi's inventory for her small business is smoke damaged. The house is unlivable as it is. The family is anticipating very high costs outside of the limited scope of Cal FAIR plan and FEMA to make the property and home safe and livable.

This house is the family’s only asset. They do not have the finances to repair the damage or to pay for temporary housing. Their wish is to give Stu his familiar home back.

As they begin the difficult journey of recovery, I am reaching out to our community for support. Every donation, no matter how small, will go directly to helping the Radstroms with uncovered costs (immediate essentials, safety, remediation and repairs).

The Radstroms are one of the most generous and kind families I’ve ever known. They’ve helped so many people in times of need, even when they themselves were struggling.

Now it’s time to show them the support and love they’ve so selflessly given.

x

Daria

Kira in front of the family trailer



The Radstroms on Kira & Darrell’s wedding day in the backyard