Urgent Aid for Twinsburg Family After Lightning Fire

Emergency Housing Fund: Healthcare Heroes Displaced After Lightning Strike Destroys Twinsburg Home

On April 2, 2025, our community healthcare heroes, JoJo & Myroslav, experienced a devastating loss when lightning struck their Twinsburg home, causing a catastrophic fire that left the entire family displaced. As their close friend organizing this fundraiser, I'm reaching out to our community for urgent assistance to help this family who has dedicated their lives to helping others.

Who This Family Is

This GoFundMe is to support an incredible family of frontline healthcare workers from Cleveland Clinic who have suddenly lost nearly everything. Both parents work tirelessly in healthcare - one as a dedicated nurse and the other as an EMT - spending their days saving lives and caring for our community. They share their home with their vulnerable 1-year-old baby and elderly grandparents, all of whom have been displaced by this sudden disaster.

What Happened

During yesterday's severe storms, their Twinsburg home was directly struck by lightning, causing a fire that spread rapidly from the basement through the first and second floors. According to fire officials, the damage is extensive - affecting approximately half of their home with estimated damages exceeding $300,000. While we're grateful everyone escaped without physical injury, they've lost their home and many irreplaceable possessions.

Here's the news stories from local outlet, Cleveland 19: https://www.cleveland19.com/2025/04/02/lightning-strike-ignites-twinsburg-house-fire/

https://www.wkyc.com/video/news/local/3news-at-5/fire-crews-in-twinsburg-respond-after-house-likely-struck-by-lightning/95-7ecec86c-7d06-4157-9f82-044ab9fafb93

https://fox8.com/news/firefighters-lightning-strike-likely-caused-twinsburg-house-fire/

Twinsburg Fire Department Facebook post

The fire department responded quickly, but despite their efforts, the house is now completely uninhabitable. The family that has been there for countless patients during their worst moments now finds themselves in crisis, with nowhere to call home.

Immediate Needs

The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated. This family needs immediate assistance with:

Emergency Housing: They need a safe, stable place to stay while they navigate this crisis. With multiple generations including a baby and seniors, hotel living is not sustainable, and they need to find appropriate temporary housing immediately.

Essential Supplies: They escaped with only the clothes they were wearing. They need clothing, toiletries, diapers, formula, and other necessities for daily living across all generations - from baby supplies to medications for the grandparents.

Immediate Living Expenses: While insurance will eventually help, they need funds now for food, transportation to work, and other daily necessities as they maintain their critical healthcare roles despite this personal disaster.

How Funds Will Be Used

Your generous donations will be distributed as follows:

$3,000 for security deposit on temporary housing

$3,000 for first month's rent

$2,000 for essential clothing and personal items

$1,500 for baby supplies and equipment

$1,500 for immediate food and transportation needs

As we've seen with other families affected by similar disasters, having this financial bridge is critical in the immediate aftermath when insurance claims are still being processed.

A Community Coming Together

In similar situations, we've seen communities raise substantial funds within days to help families displaced by lightning-caused fires. In Raleigh, neighbors raised over $20,000 for families affected by lightning strikes that damaged multiple homes. In another case, a community rallied around the Kuhn family after lightning destroyed their home, helping them bridge the gap until insurance could process their claim.

When disaster strikes, the true character of a community shows in how quickly we respond to those in need - especially those who have given so much to us through their service.

Why This Is Personal

As a close friend who has witnessed their dedication to our community through their healthcare work, I'm organizing this fundraiser because I know they would never ask for help themselves. These are the people who run toward emergencies to help others, and now they're experiencing their own emergency.

The healthcare workers who stood on the frontlines during our most challenging times now need us to stand with them. What makes this even more urgent is their continued commitment to showing up for their shifts at Cleveland Clinic, caring for patients despite losing nearly everything themselves.

How You Can Help

Whether you can contribute financially, share this campaign, or offer temporary housing solutions, every form of support matters right now. This family needs to know they're not alone as they face rebuilding their lives.

I'm asking our community to respond with the same urgency and compassion that this family shows to patients every day. Any amount helps - whether it's $5 or $500 - and sharing this campaign can have just as much impact by reaching those who can contribute.

Thank you for your generosity and support during this critical time. I'll be providing regular updates on the family's situation and how your donations are helping them recover from this devastating event.

With gratitude and urgency,

Peter Bittner