The 76-year-old is slowly coming to terms with the tragedy and was "numb" at the thought of everything they had lost in their home of 28 years.
Despite having insurance on the house, they did not have contents insurance.
It's a dire situation that hopefully none of us will experience.
A Givealittle page was setup on November 9 to help the family rebuild, hopefully both in a physiological and physical sense and as of midday yesterday, $11,152 had been given.
They had also received food and blankets for their four surviving dogs.
In another very different story in today's paper, the kindness of others was shown in admiration rather than sympathy.
Former Hawke's Bay man Hayden Lynex, who suffers from the neurological condition Freidrichs Ataxia, is raising funds for Disabled Snowsports Canterbury (DSC) by rowing the 170km from Hawke's Bay to Gisborne.
So far he has raised $7231 from 95 donors on his Givealittle page.
It's another heart-warming story in which an individual is not only raising money for an admirable cause, but also offering an example to others to not be defined by their disability.
Despite the contrasting nature of the stories, they both share the qualities of generosity and kindness.
It's something we can be proud of.
