Faced With Loss Of Memories In Fire, Woman Still Helps Others

RIVERHEAD, NY — A woman who is facing the loss of a lifetime of treasured memories in a storage unit fire in Riverhead is still worried about helping others in need.

Santia, who asked that her last name not be used, said after a fire broke out at CubeSmart on December 15 in a unit right behind hers, she was told that her unit sustained substantial damage.

Police said Robert Lazazzaro, 60, and homeless, was found to have intentionally started the fire; he was arrested and charged with one count of fourth-degree arson, then released on an appearance ticket, authorities said.

Santia said she was told she had to file a claim; she has not yet been allowed to see inside the damaged unit but fears that many of her most precious possessions have been lost forever.

She had just moved from Georgia with her children and has been living with family in the area, she said. Inside the storage unit were the things that make a life — all her children's clothes, kitchen appliances, televisions, a dryer, and other necessities.

But the losses that cut most deeply were those things that were irreplaceable — her grandmother's ceramic cookie jar, once filled with cookies that she handed out lovingly to Santia's children. Or the blanket that her beloved grandmother brought to dialysis — and a flower she'd saved from her grandmother's funeral.

Her grandmother had 28 grandchildren and 53 great-granchildren, but the bond between her and Santia was singular, precious and strong, she said. "My grandmother was my rock," she said.

Also in her storage totes was a sketch an orphan from Mexico made her while she was on a mission trip; the child had also written her favorite Bible verse on the sketch, she said. "That can never be replaced," she said.

Years of photographs and memories, lost in a heartbeat. "Sentimental things that I can't replace," she said. "I'm a very sentimental person."

Also inside the unit were here 8-month-old granddaughters things, she said. "The storage unit was like going into the basement for me, everything was there," Santia said.

Santia lost all of her own family's Christmas gifts, which she'd been keeping in the unit, she said.

But despite her own sadness, Santia said she was also worried because she'd been collecting donated diapers to give to mothers in need, as well as some other baby supplies, including a bouncy swing and a playmat that she'd promised to a woman in need a Facebook page.

"I feel bad," she said. "I know what it's like to need diapers. But because this happened to me, now they're affected, too. I've struggled all my life — I know what it's like. And I promised her these things, and she was expecting them from me."

Santia said she realized that many people lost far more than she did, in the fire. But as a mother herself, she wanted so much to help other mothers struggling to provide their children the basics, such as diapers.

After the fire, CubeSmart found Santia another unit in Riverhead. But still, she has Christmas gifts to replace, as well as all the items that make up a life and home — and despite the setback, she wants to continue helping others by sharing diapers and baby supplies with those in need.

"It's been emotional," she said. "But I have faith, and I believe it's all going to be okay."

Santia suggested that anyone who'd like to help should email her at sdnsc9630@outlook.com.