Gwinnett County family loses home days before Christmas

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - It was a devastating loss for a Gwinnett County family just days before Christmas. A fire destroyed their home off Martin Chapel Road on Friday evening.

Dana Summerville and her family had just gone out for a quick dinner when they received a frantic call from their neighbor.

"He said your house is on fire, he said come home quickly," said Dana.

They raced home to find their house in flames.

"I think it sunk in when I hit the corner and saw nine firetrucks all the way down the street," said Dana.

They stood staring at the place they called home for almost 20 years.

Dana and her twin sister, Denitra, and Dana's two sons, 14-year-old Xavier and 12-year-old Cyrus, both Dacula Middle School students who have special needs, lived in the home. The home had belonged to Dana and Denitra's mom, who passed away last December.

As they watched firefighters try to put out the flames, Dana said neighbors came by to check on them.

"People were walking by, saying, ‘You guys are alive.’ ‘Is everyone here?’ and they said, ‘Only by the grace of God that you guys are here because your house is gone,’" said Dana.

When the flames were out and the firefighters were long gone, Dana took a closer look at what was left and realized everything had been ruined.

However, through the despair as dark as ashes, a bright surprise. A neighbor was able to sift through the rubble and find her mom's bible and wedding album.

"He said, ‘I knew you wanted those things,’ and I said, ‘You just made my whole Christmas.’ Because we didn't have anything hers," said Dana.

Tears came to Dana and Denitra's eyes as they looked through the album, and somehow, they knew, everything was going to be okay.

"God was with us, and he was going to see us through but, it let me know my mom was here," said Dana.

The family is currently staying with a neighbor.  They know it will take months, maybe even a year, but they hope to rebuild.  Dana and Denitra say it was their mom's home, and they don't want to leave.

There is a GoFundMe set up for the family.