Help LeeAnn Get Back on her feet

LeeAnn sends her thanks to everyone who has donated. While the initial goal set was for $15,000 she has asked that the fundraiser be stopped, because she feels the current donation is enough to get her a second-hand car...

Here is what she has to say:

There are not enough words for me to describe how grateful I am for your generosity. I wish there was a bigger word than thank you. I’m moved to tears by the assistance and words of encouragement I have received. I am overwhelmed by your donations, you had no need to lend a helping hand to me, a stranger you’ve never met and probably never will.

When the fire initially happened, I felt I was at my wits’ end, I felt life had dealt me a bad hand. But had I not had that experience, I would not have seen what selfless generosity looks like. Until this experience, I had not experienced how truly kind humanity can be, especially when there’s no obligation to be kind.

The initial goal, that was set for this campaign was $15,000 but I have asked the organizers to end the fundraiser because I think I now have enough to help me get a car and get back some of the things I lost in the fire; I couldn’t ask more of generous donors like yourself.

Please know how grateful I am to you and for you. Thanks for giving me hope when, when I felt nothing but despair. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!

-LeeAnn

LeeAnn’s Story

LeeAnn Davila-Bernhard is a 19-year-old, who was trying to do everything right to set herself up for future success. However, on May 7th, 2023, all the progress this young lady has made, almost came to a fiery end.

LeeAnn, is a first-year college student pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse. In addition to being a full-time student, she also works full-time. Needless to say, she keeps herself busy with both work and school. On Sunday, May 7th, while conducting business for her job, she was parked at a local bank, when she noticed smoke coming from the hood of her car. She and her boyfriend immediately jumped out of the car and noticed there was fire under the hood. While LeeAnn called 911 and called her dad, her boyfriend ran inside the bank to alert the individuals inside and in the immediate vicinity of the bank and asked them to evacuate the area immediately. Thankfully everyone was able to clear the area just in time, before the car exploded into flames.

An off-duty firefighter who happened to be in the vicinity put on his gear and immediately started assisting LeeAnn and assessing the situation just before the 3 explosions that caused the car to burst into flames. Though they never got his name, she has expressed immense gratitude to this gentleman and the first responders who subsequently arrived on scene. They took about an hour to put out the blaze.

Like many others on scene, I was a bystander and stranger observing this tragedy unfold, my family and I were touched by the scene and the understandable anguish of this young lady, you couldn’t help but be touched by her tears, her fear and the near miss she had. Having spoken to her and her father who later arrived on the scene, I was able to learn a little bit about this young lady. Having heard her story, I was moved to help in some way, hence this GoFundMe initiative.

As mentioned before LeeAnn is a full-time student going to nursing school and works full-time as well. The car that caught on fire, was her first car, she explained to me that she had only had it for a month after being frugal and saving for three years to get it. This tragedy has happened at a delicate time in her life, she is currently in the process of trying to find her first apartment. Some of the things she had purchased for the apartment were in her car and went up in flames as well. While everyone who observed this tragic moment in this young lady’s life is grateful, she is alive, she and her family are needless to say, a million times more grateful. Speaking with her father, he describes LeeAnn as a great daughter and a hard-working young lady. He is happy she is alive but also saddened by the setback she has had. Speaking with LeeAnn she exudes a quiet strength, while I think she’ll work hard and do her best to bounce back from this setback, I think she needs some help getting back on her feet. This GoFundMe page is being set up to help her get a car, so she can continue to get to work and school and also to recoup some of the things she’s lost in her car.

On behalf of LeeAnn and her family, sincerest thanks for even thinking about helping. I assure you that all proceeds from this crowdfunding will go towards the purchase of a new car for her and helping her get back on her feet. Her story will be aired on our local news station News12 CT, on Monday, May 8, 2023. You can check out their website to learn more (https://connecticut.news12.com/video-shows-firefighters-battle-car-fire-after-2-escape-blaze1). Thanks in advance for your humanity and your generosity.