A Canton family is trying to rebuild their lives after a lightning strike set their longtime home on fire last Friday, wiping out critical medical gear for their special-needs daughter. Mother Patti Carter and her daughter Carly escaped without physical injury, but the family says smoke, flames and water ruined Carly’s feeding equipment, specialized safety bed and prescription supplies that together could cost tens of thousands of dollars. While the family waits to learn how much of the medical loss insurance will cover, neighbors and churches have already started dropping off basic supplies.
As reported by WSB-TV, Patti had just unplugged Carly’s feeding pump as storms intensified when daughter Kerrison Carter heard what she called the loudest boom she had ever heard and saw smoke pouring from the house. Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services crews arrived to find smoke coming from the attic, and the county’s fire investigations team is working to determine where and how the blaze started. WSB-TV also reports the family is still trying to figure out how much of Carly’s destroyed medical equipment will be reimbursed by insurance.
According to the family’s fundraiser on GoFundMe, organized by Kerrison Carter, supporters have donated more than $42,000 toward a $50,000 goal. The campaign lists destroyed items including Carly’s feeding pump, her eye-gaze communication device, wheelchair, a Safe Haven enclosed bed and medication aides. The fundraiser notes that the Canton house the family has lived in for 26 years was hit during the storm and that Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services responded to stop the fire. The page also asks for immediate help with everyday essentials such as clothes, wipes and medical disposables while the family works through longer-term replacement needs for Carly’s specialized equipment.
Local neighbors, churches and businesses have been showing up with supplies and offers of help, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. Daughter Nikki Smith told the station the community response has brought the family real comfort in the middle of the chaos, while Kerrison said the outpouring has moved them from tears of devastation to tears of gratitude.
Investigators and lightning risk
Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services told WSB-TV that crews were called to Hillcrest Ridge after neighbors reported smoke and flames coming from the laundry room, and that no one was injured in the blaze. The National Weather Service notes lightning strikes the United States roughly 25 million times a year and warns that bolts can ignite wiring or attic materials, a reminder of how quickly a routine summer storm can turn dangerous. The agency offers safety guidance that includes staying away from corded electronics during thunderstorms.
How to help
Those who want to support the Carters can donate to the verified GoFundMe campaign or drop off supplies to local volunteers listed on the fundraiser page. The family says immediate needs include clothing, wipes and medical disposables while they work with their insurer and plan long-term replacements for Carly’s specialized medical equipment.
