A FAMILY who had to flee their house after a fire broke out when a firework was thrown at it on Bonfire Night are facing their first Christmas away from home in more than two decades.
Wheelchair-bound Graham Lloyd and his wife Jan have lived at their house in Hillview Crescent, Lliswerry, for 40 years - but have been forced to flee their home following the fire on Tuesday, November 5.
Mr Lloyd, 62, said he was at home at around 9.30pm when he heard loud bangs from the alleyway next to their house. He looked out of the window, but was unable to see anything. It wasn't until he noticed a potent smell of burning plastic and saw flames outside the house that he realised something was wrong.
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(L-R: Mark Healey, Graham Lloyd, Janet Lloyd and Stephen Lloyd)
Thankfully he was able to quickly get his brother Stephen, 49 - who has Down syndrome and moved in with Mr and Mrs Lloyd in February after their mother died - as well as Bichon Frise dogs Ollie and Finnie, 10 and 11, out of the house safely, and Mrs Lloyd was not at home when the fire broke out.
But, although they were unhurt, and are currently staying in a hotel - with the dogs in a kennel - while they look for somewhere more permanent, the family are now facing their first Christmas away from their beloved home for 40 years.
Mr and Mrs Lloyd had started preparing for Christmas before the fire happened, and had already bought some presents for Stephen. And their attic was full of decorations - all of which were too badly damaged in the fire to recover.
The fire as it broke out
Mrs Lloyd said the thought of not putting up a Christmas tree in their own home this year, and their 10 grandchildren - five boys and five girls aged between three to 20 - not being able to pop over whenever they want, made her sad.
“Not only has this affected us, but it’s affected my grandchildren as well,” said Mrs Lloyd. “It’s a lot to take in. It just doesn’t seem real. It’s strange to have no where to go home to."
Son-in-law Mark Healy has been lending a hand, and said not being home for Christmas was taking a toll on the family.
The aftermath of the fire
“Since I’ve known Jan and Graham, I’ve always come to their house for Christmas dinner, which has been the last 23 years and the house is full of around 18-22 people,” he said.
The family have been told they could face a wait of between six months and a year until they can return home - and finding somewhere suitable to live in the meantime was proving a struggle.
“We really need to rent a place that’s already furnished, local and has disabled access for Graham,” said Mrs Lloyd.
How the house looked the day after the fire
Mr Healey is currently fundraising to help get the family back on track and give them some extra support this Christmas, and the family has thanked the community for their "overwhelming support" since their ordeal.
Help out at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mark-healey
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