Just after 3:30 a.m. on Mansfield Street, a Detroit mother’s newly renovated home went up in flames, taking her children’s life-saving medications with it.
Denisha Roberson is now racing to replace insulin for her 10-year-old, who has Type 1 diabetes, along with medicated creams for her 3-year-old, after an early-morning fire gutted the family’s house. Fresh paint jobs and new furniture were reduced to rubble, and the family is urgently looking for help.
According to WXYZ, Roberson and her children were not home when the fire broke out, and the Detroit Fire Department is calling the blaze suspicious. Roberson’s porch camera reportedly caught an unknown person walking around the house carrying an axe, and she told the station she had discovered a hacked power line earlier that same day. Rooms she had just finished painting and furnishing for her kids, she said, are now nothing but charred ruins.
On a GoFundMe, Roberson wrote that the house was set on fire in a brazen act of arson and said the family had been dealing with domestic violence. The fundraiser also says her child’s insurer would not approve an early refill of insulin, forcing her to pay cash to replace crucial supplies. The page showed about $685 raised toward a $2,800 goal at the time of publication.
Investigation and safety
The Detroit Fire Department is handling the investigation, and city officials urge residents to hang on to any video or other evidence that might help. The department’s Detroit Fire Department Fire Marshal division explains how investigators respond to suspicious fires and how the public can report tips.
Anyone who saw or recorded unusual activity near Mansfield Street around the time of the fire is asked to contact Detroit police or the fire department.
Replacing insulin and where to get help
Roberson told reporters that getting an emergency insulin refill has been one of the toughest hurdles since the fire. Replacing insulin on short notice can be expensive and time-sensitive, especially when insurance will not authorize an early refill.
Some manufacturers and nonprofit groups offer patient-assistance programs that may provide short-term relief. Organizations like Breakthrough T1D publish guides to emergency options and manufacturer support programs for people who suddenly lose access to their supplies.
WXYZ reports that the American Red Cross has already stepped in to provide clothing and is working to help secure temporary housing for Roberson and her children.
How to help
The family’s fundraiser is raising money for housing, medical supplies, and basic necessities. Details are on the GoFundMe.
Anyone with information about the fire is urged to contact Detroit law enforcement or the Detroit Fire Department so investigators can follow up.
