After Losing Their Father, Brother, And Their House To Various Tragedies, This Family Thought Life Could Never Get Better

This article may contain affiliate links, learn more.

Life is like a bumpy road: there will always be ups and downs, but we have no choice but to keep moving forward. There's no way for us to know what new surprise life will throw at us around each corner, so it's essential never to take your loved ones for granted.

When the universe throws us curve balls, we're lucky to have our friends and family by our side to help us catch them. This story about a family who was on the edge of losing everything proves that on the path of life, there's always the opportunity to take a turn for the better.

Click HERE to learn what Numerology says about your life using only your Birth Date.

The Girard Family

A photograph of a family: a mom, dad, 3 sons and 2 daughters.
YouTube / ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition
YouTube / ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition

They say that the universe sends its hardest battles to its strongest soldiers. Well, this was definitely the case for the Girard family from Voluntown, Connecticut. From the outside, the Girards were a regular family just like the rest of us,.

Thomas, Carol, and their five children were a happy and close-knit family, their parents love being easily recognized by anyone they met. The bunch were regular volunteers and spent a majority of their time together fundraising at local churches and charities. Unfortunately, good karma was not enough to protect them from the wrath that was to come on one unlucky day.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Fire That Changed Everything

ADVERTISEMENT
A firefighter putting out a house fire.
Daniel Tausis / Unsplash
Daniel Tausis / Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

One day in 2007, the Girards woke up to what they thought would be a bright and sunny day. Marc, Hannah, Adam, Lucas, Jacqueline, and their parents had plans to volunteer together, ready to tackle another day of hard work to support those in need.

ADVERTISEMENT

Everything happens for a reason. On this day, the family's neighborhood shot up in flames. Their home and many others on the street were completely damaged from the fire residue and water damage. While they were lucky that no family member had been home at the time of the fire, they were devastated to find their home crumbled and burnt to the ground.

ADVERTISEMENT

Positivity In The Face Of Homelessness

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
A little boy in tears.
YouTube / ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition
YouTube / ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition
ADVERTISEMENT

Losing their home in the fire would change the fate of the Girard family forever. The seven who once had a reputation of being so giving and selfless faced a long period of homelessness.

ADVERTISEMENT

Living from tent to trailer and scavenging for a roof over their children's heads was a struggle that Thomas and Carol never imagined they would face. But, they would not lose hope in their faith and remained positive, believing that a higher power would soon offer them a helping hand: "We could have been depressed the entire time. But who's that helping? Definitely not us."

ADVERTISEMENT

A Series Of Unfortunate Events

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
A young girl crying on her mom's shoulder.
YouTube / ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition
YouTube / ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition
ADVERTISEMENT

After some time, Thomas and Carol Girard decided that a fresh start in a new place might be the key to turning their life back in the right direction. Before they set out to relocate to a new town, Thomas took his children out for a celebratory swim at the lake.

ADVERTISEMENT

Unfortunately, the Girard's streak of bad luck had not yet come to a close. When Carol heard sirens close enough to light up her trailer, she felt her inner world collapse, "When we saw the rescue boat go by we said, 'Oh no.' We knew right then and there that something bad had happened."

ADVERTISEMENT

Losing Two Loved Ones

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
A mom and 5 children kneeling next to a grave.
YouTube / ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition
YouTube / ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition
ADVERTISEMENT

The angelic nature of their father must've been needed in the universe, because something was itching to push him towards the afterlife. While the family was swimming, Thomas began to drown, and his son Marc would not leave his side.

ADVERTISEMENT

Someone close by called 911, but the paramedics arrived too late. By the time the boys were pulled out of the lake, Thomas was dead. The family tried to hold on to hope that Marc would be okay, but he passed away a few hours later in emergency care.

ADVERTISEMENT

Meant To Go Together

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
A young girl crying in front of a white trailer.
YouTube / ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition
YouTube / ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition
ADVERTISEMENT

Sometimes life gets so dark that it can be hard to remember the light. After facing yet another tragedy, the Girard family was completely heartbroken. They dealt with their guilt and sadness as a family and through counseling but were losing hope that life would ever return back to the way it once was.

ADVERTISEMENT

Carol was a strong mother, and she would not let her children live a life without faith. She believed that Thomas and Marc were "meant to go together." She did her best to guide her children to remember her son as a hero who wouldn't let their father face the darkness alone, still believing that the universe always sees a bigger picture than we can.

ADVERTISEMENT

An Anniversary Present

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
A large, brick house with a purple sky in the background.
YouTube / ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition
YouTube / ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition
ADVERTISEMENT

Thomas passed away two weeks before Girard's 19th wedding anniversary. Carol feared the day that her anniversary would approach, thinking she would be filled with dread and suffering from her loss. However, a group of strangers decided they would not let her continue to struggle alone.

ADVERTISEMENT

Home renovators teamed up to build the family a brand new home, paving the path for a second chance at a happy and normal life. This gift warmed the hearts and souls of the family, bringing tears to their eyes and leaving them speechless. "We will still have some sorrowful tears. But my kids don't have to be afraid of what's to come anymore. I don't think our life is going to have tragedy written all over it anymore."

ADVERTISEMENT

Life Is Worth Living

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
A mom and two children walking through a door, surprised.
YouTube / ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition
YouTube / ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition
ADVERTISEMENT

Not only did the renovators build a home for the family, but they went the extra mile to make it the most special and precious gift of all time. To honor the deceased family members, special details were included as a reminder of their presence in the home.

ADVERTISEMENT

Hannah's bedroom was decorated with snowflakes, which was her nickname from her father. The house was also designed with medieval pieces to commemorate Thomas's passion for this period of history. While this thoughtfulness couldn't take the pain and heartache away from Carol and her children, it was a surprise that would truly change their life and re-ignite their belief that life is worth living.

ADVERTISEMENT

Small Gestures Go A Long Way

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
A family standing in front of a crowd, jumping in excitement.
YouTube / ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition
YouTube / ExtremeMakeoverHomeEdition
ADVERTISEMENT

The story of the Girard family reminds us of the importance of human connection. An act of kindness from a stranger can change the course of someone's life, even in cases so extreme it feels like all hope is gone.

ADVERTISEMENT

You never know what the stranger standing next to you at the bus stop or in line at the grocery store is going through, and it's free to be a good person and share a smile. You never know whose day you can turn around with a small and simple gesture!

Are you still searching for your life purpose? You won't believe what the science of Numerology can reveal about you!

That's right, the numerology of your birth date, regardless of what month you were born, can reveal surprising information about your personality.