Stricken family needs help

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Weeks family lost clothes, medical gear in house fire; father on heart transplant list

A Nov. 4 house fire in Peachtree City has left a family without a home and their belongings. As bad as the fire was, 35-year-old Ian Weeks, the father of four children, has been on a heart transplant list for the past year. Friends and those from around the community are committed to helping this family in need.

The fire at the Weeks’ home on Grenoble Road in Peachtree City occurred in the later afternoon hours of Nov. 4 and resulted in moderate fire damage with no injuries.

Felicia Weeks is mother of four children including 21-year-old Jaquan who commutes to college, 16-year-old Jade who attends McIntosh High School and 13-year-old Jeremiah and 11-year-old Jaylen, both of whom attend Booth Middle School.

Felicia said she and Ian were headed to a fundraising event for Ian when the fire occurred in the two-level house. She said the kids first smelled smoke upstairs, adding that Jade went downstairs to check the rooms for the source of the smoke.

“Jade opened the furnace room door and fire shot out at her. She yelled to her brothers that the house was on fire and got them out of the house,” Felicia explained. “Jade ran to a neighbor’s house to call 911, but Jaylen ran back into the house to get the dogs and Ian’s medication and medical equipment. He got the dogs but he was crying because he couldn’t get his father’s meds. He told me he kept trying but couldn’t get them.”

Jaylen in his efforts was subjected to smoke inhalation and was transported to Piedmont Fayette Hospital, treated and released.

The family was renting the home on Grenoble and are currently staying with friends.

“We hope to be able to stay in the area where the kids are in school,” Felicia said.

The fire was not the only thing on the minds of the family. The children’s father, Ian, is in need of a heart transplant, Felicia said.

Thirty-five-year-old Ian has a long-standing heart condition that requires a heart transplant. The average cost of a heart transplant, for which Ian has been on a list for one year, is $500,000. Beyond that, the required medications are expected to cost $10,000-15,000 per year. The family has no private insurance.

Felicia said her family is in need of nearly all household goods and furniture due to the smoke and fire damage. Especially needed are clothes for the 13-year-old Jeremiah and 11-year-old Jaylen. Felicia said clothing assistance for 16-year-old Jade is coming from her cheerleading team at McIntosh High School.

Felicia said Ian’s oxygen equipment needed for his heart condition was replaced but, as of Sunday afternoon, the monitor for his pacemaker and other required medical equipment has not been replaced.

A yard sale fundraiser for the family will be held on Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Legacy Christian Church on Rockaway Road in Senoia. Donations can also be dropped off during the week at 510 Raintree Hill in Peachtree City. Gently used, boxed items can be placed in the garage and should be marked for the Weeks family yard sale. 

The primary contact for the family is Karen Baxter at 678-361-3931. The secondary contact is Siohvan Smith at 678-896-7187.

Friends and neighbors are responding to the family’s loss. The Weeks Family Home Fund (https://www.gofundme.com/5389a7bw) was set up Wednesday night. Family friends said the initial goal was reached and has been increased to $50,000.

Baxter said Harry Norman Realtors is a drop-off location for cards and clothing. The office is located at 120 Peachtree East Shopping Center.

Baxter said clothing and shoe needs for the family include:

• Jaylen: Pants 34/34 and adult medium shirts; shoes size 11 1/2

• Jeremiah: Pants 32/34 and adult small shirts; shoes size 11

• Jaquan: 38/36 pants; shoes size 12

• Jade: clothes size 3 or 4; shoes size 6 1/2-7

• Felicia: Size 12 and large tops; shoes size 9

• Ian: pants 42/32; shirts 2X; shoes size 12 1/2-13

Baxter said clothes and shoes are especially needed for Ian and Felicia.

For more information on the family’s needs visit the Weeks Family Fund page on Facebook.

Peachtree City Fire Rescue spokesman Ron Mundy said fire crews were dispatched to the residence at 111 Grenoble Road at 6:38 pm. and arrived at 6:42 p.m. to find heavy smoke in the split-level home. Firefighters also found an active fire in the basement, Mundy said. The investigation of the fire determined that it originated in the area of the furnace, Mundy added.

Mundy said three children were in the Weeks’ home when firefighters arrived and were uninjured in the incident.

The house as a result of the fire sustained moderate fire damage and extensive smoke damage, Mundy said.