Dianna's story

When a Family Loses Everything, Compass is There

Laila and her mother smelled smoke when they entered their apartment, but they were not prepared to see flames shooting out of the closet in the bedroom that the family shared. Her mom, Dianna, then eight months pregnant with her little brother, pulled Laila from the room. Laila’s dad, home early from work for the first time in months, burst into the apartment just as Dianna was starting to worry that she would not be able to get her daughter out by herself. The three escaped unharmed, but the fire, which started in the trash chute adjacent to their apartment, destroyed everything and Laila was inconsolable at the loss of her turtle and goldfish.

The family spent the night at a distant relative’s house. The next morning Laila didn’t want to go outside, but her mom knew that Compass Children’s Center was the best place she could be that day. She knew that the center, where Laila had been enrolled since she was one-year old, would know how to help her daughter and wouldn’t care if she came in her pajamas and without shoes.

“It doesn’t matter if you have shoes,” she told Laila, “You love to play barefoot at school.”

When Laila and Dianna arrived at Compass Children’s Center that morning, staff immediately knew that something was wrong. After getting the story and sharing many hugs, the Compass Children’s Center staff swung into action. With the help of the center’s Family Service Coordinator, Dianna and her husband worked with the Red Cross to find temporary accommodations for the family. On-site play therapy was also immediately coordinated for Laila to help her process the traumatic event. Laila’s primary teacher also carefully monitored her behaviors and moods to ensure that Laila always felt secure and loved.

By the end of that first day, Laila had enough clothing and shoes for a week. Within a month, the Children’s Center staff had coordinated donations and services to ensure that the family had a safe place to live, clothing, everything that they would need for the arrival of the new baby and the ongoing support necessary to move forward.

According to Dianna, her daughter has finally started to smile again and she credits much of her family’s stability and good health to the extraordinary efforts of the Compass Children’s Center staff. Although it will be a surprise to Laila when she graduates from the center in a few months, the staff let her parents in on a little secret that awaits her: a fat photo album of Laila and her parents throughout their years at Compass Children’s Center.