At 97 years old, Lucille “Cille” Macdonald is taking steps toward recovery after losing her home of nearly 50 years to the fires in Lahaina, Hawaii.
She moved to the island with her husband in 1974, where they built their home with materials brought in by boat. After her husband passed away eight years later, she continued to maintain their house on her own.
When the fires began, her neighbor banged on her door and gave her a ride out of town on his truck. They tried to find shelter at nearby hotels, but there were no rooms available.
With no place to go, Cille had no choice but to sleep in the bed of the truck for four days. At the end of that time, she told her neighbor, “I want to go back to the house.” But he said simply, “I don’t think there’s a house.” At the time, Cille didn’t know the state of her home but knew it was gone.
Now, she’s staying at the home of a friend, who has since left the island. She requires 24-hour care and has been struggling to pay for it. Unfortunatel...