By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

NEARLY five months after a devastating fire destroyed their home, Richan Mackey and her family are still struggling to rebuild. They are appealing for public assistance as they hope to be in a new home by December.

The blaze, which tore through their Eastwood residence on 8 February 2025, reduced decades of memories to ashes and left the family with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The Tribune first reported on the Mackey family’s tragedy in February, shortly after the fire.

Since then, Ms Mackey, her husband, their 10-year-old son, her brother, and her five-year-old nephew have been living together in the front room of her aunt’s house.

“At the moment, we’re still staying by my aunt’s house,” Ms Mackey said. “Hopefully by Monday, we would be in a building. We had to get electrical sorted out to the place, so hopefully by Monday the person helping us with electrical would have that started so that we can have our own private living room and space again. Right now, we’re still living with family.”

She said the experience has been overwhelming, particularly as they try to secure the funds needed to clear the debris and rebuild their home from scratch, noting that  donations have slowed in recent weeks and the family continues to face serious financial challenges. 

“We are trying our best to stay confident and stay hopeful that we will rebuild our home again. It has been challenging because at the moment, we don’t have the finances we need in order to rebuild. So right now, it’s just trying to find the finances so that we’ll be able to rebuild our family home back for the kids,” she said.

Ms Mackey said the loss has been especially hard as the children are no longer surrounded by the familiar comfort of their grandmother’s home. 

"Everyday they talk about is how the house burned down and how they’re not able to play with their friends in the community, and they don’t have their bikes and their scooters and their different stuff that they usually have they don’t have it no more.”

She is trying to cope mentally with the reality of starting over, as the fire destroyed everything, from important documents to clothing and personal items, leaving the family with nothing to retrieve and forcing them to rebuild their lives from the ground up.

However, the family hopes to be in a rebuilt home by Christmas, noting that their faith and the encouragement of others have helped them cope during this difficult period.

“If I didn’t have Christ, I would have flipped. It’s been really hard, especially going through Mother’s Day without my mom and dealing with the grief of losing everything. But I’m trying to stay strong for my son and nephew so they can have hope that better days are coming,” she said.

Before the fire, the family had already endured major loss as Ms Mackey’s mother died in 2024, her father eight years ago, and her aunt in January. 

Those wishing to assist can donate directly to the family’s relief fund or building supply accounts. Financial contributions can be made to Richan Sweeting Mackey, Bank of the Bahamas, Village Road Branch, Account Number 5510139955.

For donations of building materials or supplies, persons can contribute through the family’s store accounts at Tops and JBR, account number 4257934, in the name of Richan Sweeting Mackey), or at Premier Importers, account number 4257934, also in Ms Mackey’s name.