By Luke Voogt
Whittington mother-of-five Alisha Cooper lost everything in 20 minutes after an “honest mistake” caused her house to go up in flames on Monday evening.
Ms Cooper left oil cooking on stove as she rushed out the door to walk to the supermarket with her children just before 5pm.
“I got to Lovett Court and realised ‘s**t I haven’t turned the stove off’,” she said.
Not long after she turned around, long-time friend Nicole Stratton called after hearing a Whittington house was ablaze.
“I got back to Solar Drive and there was just black smoke billowing out,” Ms Cooper said.
“I was too distraught to go down there.”
The fire destroyed Ms Cooper’s social housing property on Freedom Court, leaving her and her family with next to nothing.
“The only thing I was able to save was a family photo when I went to the front door for the first time [on Tuesday],” she said.
The Salvation Army organised a motel for the family to stay at, while her eldest, Brock, is staying with his grandmother.
Brock’s father Billy Guest was murdered in late 2019, several years after he and Ms Cooper broke up.
“Brock’s lost everything in last couple of years. He’s really lost at the moment,” she said.
But friends, family and strangers alike have rallied around the family.
Whittington Primary School teachers have helped with groceries, while Encompass Community Services donated a whole house package including furniture.
“We’re getting heaps of support from the Whittington community – they’ve been amazing,” Ms Cooper said.
And the same friend who initially called to check up on them, Ms Stratton, has organised an online campaign to them get back on their feet.
Details: gofundme.com/f/help-alisha-5-kids-get-back-on-their-feet
