An 8-year-old Clayton County girl with spina bifida woke up her family in time to save them from a fire, her family said.
Tamesha Brittenum was the first to wake up when the family’s Forest Park home started to fill with smoke three weeks ago, her mother told Channel 2 Action News.
Tiffany Brittenum said her daughter screamed at 3 a.m.
“God woke me up, and then I woke my daddy up,” Tamesha said.
Teric Brittenum, 15, told the news station if they hadn’t escaped when they did, they wouldn’t have made it out at all.
She was born w/ spina bifida & she's her family's hero. They say she saved their lives in a house fire. Live @ 11. https://t.co/U7MJGbcqXH pic.twitter.com/umJNbzUKH5
— Matt Johnson (@MattWSB) April 17, 2017
Though the family of eight survived the fire, their house was consumed and condemned. They moved into a hotel.
“We lost everything,” Tiffany said.
She and her husband never thought they’d have to rely on the kindness of others to care for their children.
“We were a successful family making it, working,” Tiffany said. “My husband is a painter, and now we're begging.”
Despite the losses, the Brittenum family has kept their faith in God — and a Bible on the table.
“We do think that God allowed this fire to happen for a reason and maybe everything we lost we're going to get it back more abundantly,” Tiffany said.
The Lake City Community Center is letting the family use their space from 1 to 7 p.m. on April 29 to raise money, food and supplies. The community center is located at 5471 Jonesboro Road.
