Family Loses Everything In House Fire Less Than 2 Months After Teen's Death
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DERRY TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- What was once the Bolish family home in Derry Township is now just a burnt-out shell after a massive blaze destroyed the structure over the weekend.
Chelsey Bolish, 19, was in her college dorm room when the fire erupted. Her 17-year-old brother called her to tell her what happened and report on their mom and dad's condition.
She says her brother told her, "Mom can't breathe, dad can't see. We had to jump out the window."
Both of them were taken to the hospital, suffering burns and lung and vision damage.
"[Chelsey's dad] has 20 percent of [his] vision. He can only see shadows. My mom can barely talk, barely can breathe. They're all on medication," Chelsey said.
The flames laid waste to everything. This loss is the latest to strike the Bolish family.
Late in August, Chelsey's little sister, 17-year-old Marissa, died in a car accident not far from the family home.
"Losing someone that's 17 that you would have never expected [to lose] is heart-wrenching. It's hard to go day-by-day knowing I'll never speak to her again, never get to see her and now have nothing left of her also," Chelsey told KDKA's Ross Guidotti.
Chelsey's mom and dad are out of the hospital, recovering from their injuries, leaving 19-year-old Chelsey and her 17-year-old brother to figure things out.
"Trying to find a house, clothes, money, anything that we can. We're starting from absolutely square one," Chelsey said.
Both are bearing another heavy emotional burden with broken hearts.
For now, the family is staying with relatives.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Friends of the family have started a GoFundMe page to help the Bolish family: https://www.gofundme.com/yma6vs-please-help-our-family-in-need
