A Dublin mum revealed how her young son's quick thinking saved her family's life after their house went on fire.
Ana Carolan, 23, was at work when a small fire started in the bedroom she shared with her four-year-old son, Kalvin, at their family home in Ballyfermot on Sunday afternoon. Ana told Dublin Live: "It was a faulty socket in my bedroom that I share with my son. My son was in the bedroom when it went off.
"He ran downstairs to his nanny to tell her there was a small fire but when she went upstairs the whole thing was just up in flames. So if it wasn’t for him, everyone in the house would have been gone."
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Thankfully, the family managed to get out safely, Ana said, including her father who is in a wheelchair. Ana, who lived in the house with Kalvin, her two sisters, her brother, and her parents, said she's lost everything - but she's grateful her family is safe.
She said: "All of the upstairs is gone with the kitchen and sitting room. Everything in my house is burnt. My memory box from when my son was born, our birth certs, everything."
A fundraiser has been set up to help the family recover from the devastating fire. Ana recounted her horror after a friend ran to Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, where she works as a cleaner, to inform her of the blaze.
She said: "My phone was upstairs and I was downstairs in work. My friend came down to tell me. She kept saying, ‘Your house is on fire’ and my heart kept saying, ‘No, it’s not’.
"When I got home I hugged [Kalvin] because I was so scared and all he was worried about was his trains. We got them replaced."
The family has been forced to split up and are living in different parts of the city. Ana said: "Kalvin knows the house is gone. We’ve been keeping his mind occupied but he’d cry for his nanny and grandad."
But there is some good news, as Ana was told the council has found temporary accommodation for the next six months. Ana also said she was grateful to all the kind-hearted people who donated their clothes to the family.
She said: "I just want to say thank you to everyone that gave us clothes. People on Facebook have been really kind. I’m really grateful. They didn’t have to help us but they did."
You can donate to the fundraiser by clicking here.
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