After the fire, ’tis the season to help

Posted 12/23/15

If this is the season to remember those less fortunate, then surely no family here belongs more in our thoughts right now than the Nardolillos — Melody Murchison-Nardolillo and her children Bella, Morgan and Caleb.

For reasons not yet …

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After the fire, ’tis the season to help

Posted

If this is the season to remember those less fortunate, then surely no family here belongs more in our thoughts right now than the Nardolillos — Melody Murchison-Nardolillo and her children Bella, Morgan and Caleb.

For reasons not yet clear, fire raced through their Westport home late Saturday evening taking the life of 4-year-old Caleb and devastating his mother and siblings.

Firefighters from Westport and surrounding towns rushed to the small street but by the time they got to Caleb in his second floor bedroom it was too late. A young neighbor ran in to try to save his friend — he was lucky to escape with his life.

By all neighborhood accounts, Caleb was an enthusiastic, cheerful, loving little boy sure to brighten anyone’s day. He had recently provided neighbors with a daily countdown to Santa’s arrival about which he was most excited.

For the family he left behind, happy holidays have become something unimaginable. They endured injuries that send them to the hospital, were burned out of their home, lost presents and everything else they owned — all of which pale before the loss of Caleb.

As usually happens, the lone bright light to emerge has been the care of neighbors, friends and, mostly, people in the community who never knew Caleb and family.

Within a day, A YouCaring page had been set up by the Somerset-based Firefighters Wives Association (it had $8,800 by midday Monday, and at least one GoFundMe page.

Gifts and monetary donations can also be dropped off at the Hixbridge Road and Briggs Road fire stations in Westport.

Every gift, big or small, helps of course. What may help most is the message that these three are surrounded by people who care — that they are not alone.

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Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.