Family of two Autistic Children Lose Everything in Fire

My heart breaks as I write this. My dear friend Vanessa and her family lost everything in the devastating Palisades fire. Her family home, passed down for generations, is gone. The place where she raised her two autistic boys and cared for their animals has been reduced to ashes.

My name is Kiesza, and I am a musician and artist who also had to evacuate the fire. I met Vanessa when I first moved to Topanga Canyon and lived in her airstream temporarily while recovering from a car crash. Vanessa welcomed me with open arms and showed me what true kindness and community look like.

Vanessa’s life has always been built around her children’s needs. Her boys have complex special needs that require her full-time care and attention. Their home wasn’t just a house — it was a sanctuary, carefully designed to provide stability, comfort, and safety for her children. Now, all of that is gone.

To make matters worse, her fire insurance was canceled just months before the fire, leaving them with no financial safety net. They’re now left with no income to support the boys’ unique needs or their everyday living expenses.

In the chaos of the fire, Vanessa was able to save their beloved animals — dogs, sheep, and chickens. Her animals aren’t just pets; they’re part of the family and essential to her children’s emotional well-being. But now, these animals have been displaced too, and Vanessa is doing everything she can to keep them safe and cared for.

Vanessa’s boys have severe autism and require many specialized items to manage their daily lives and routines. The fire took away everything they rely on to feel safe and comfortable, including:

• Diapers and wipes

• Bottles and specialized feeding supplies

• Weighted blankets to help with calming

• Noise-canceling headphones to block out overwhelming sounds

• Sensory toys and calming devices

• Clothing, shoes, and adaptive equipment

These are critical items that her boys need every day, and replacing them will be a long process. The funds raised will help provide these essentials as quickly as possible so that Vanessa can begin to restore some sense of normalcy for her children.

Where Your Donations Will Go:

• A safe, stable place for Vanessa and her boys to stay

• Food, clothing, and basic necessities they lost in the fire

• Diapers, wipes, bottles, and other essential care items for her children

• Specialized care and therapy to help her children cope with this traumatic loss

• Replacing sensory tools and calming devices her boys rely on daily

• Immediate food and temporary shelter for her displaced animals

• Veterinary care to ensure the health and well-being of the animals

• Supplies like bedding, crates, and fencing to keep the animals safe

• Legal and financial assistance to help Vanessa navigate this difficult time

Vanessa isn’t just fighting to recover from a disaster — she’s fighting to keep her children’s world from falling apart. These boys need routine, comfort, shelter and stability to thrive. Every donation helps bring them a step closer to that.

I’m reaching out on her behalf, in hopes of helping this beautiful family recover from the unimaginable. Please, if you can, donate. If you’re unable to give, sharing this story is just as valuable. Together, we can show Vanessa that she’s not alone and that this community stands with her.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your kindness and generosity.

With love,

Kiesza