Father Killed, Son Homeless: Fire Leaves Cherry Hill Man Starting Anew

CHERRY HILL, NJ — Hazem Abdalla's father meant everything to him. So when Eid Abdalla developed dementia, Hazem cut his work hours to give him more time to care for his dad.

On the night of Jan. 31, a neighbor told Hazem Abdalla to rush home immediately. He arrived to find the Cherry Hill house that he and his father shared was engulfed in flames.

Eid Abdalla, 69, died in the fire. Hazem says Eid was his only close family member, so the fire left him homeless and without immediate family.

• Related: 1 Dead, Firefighter Injured In Cherry Hill Blaze

Hazem Abdalla has established a GoFundMe, which has generated a little over $40,000 from 840 donations as of this writing. A $50,000 goal has been set.

"Trying to survive day by day while grieving the loss of the only family I ever truly had," Abdalla wrote. "It’s a kind of loneliness and exhaustion that’s hard to put into words, but it’s my reality."

Eid immigrated from Egypt to the United States in the 1960s in search of a better life, according to his son. Hazem was born in Egypt and came with his father to the U.S. when he was 5 years old.

As Eid grew older, he developed dementia and other serious medical conditions, so Hazem Abdalla cut his work hours to spend more time caring for his father.

"Taking care of my father was never a burden; it was my responsibility, my duty, and my honor," Abdalla said. "Everything I did was for him."

The GoFundMe will aid Abdalla with the following:

• securing a safe apartment and covering rent for a year
• helping him get reliable transportation for work
• immediate living expenses to give him the chance to start anew
• funeral costs

"My father sacrificed everything for me," Abdalla said. "He worked tirelessly, and his strength shaped my entire life. Losing him has left a hole in my heart that will never be filled, but I am holding on to his memory as I try to move forward."

Click here for the GoFundMe page.