HOLLISTON, MASS. (WHDH) - The children of a Holliston couple who lost their home in a devastating fire Monday are asking for people to help out their parents, who have fostered hundreds of kids over the years.
“Whatever you can do, just do something. They don’t deserve this,” said Sonja Touchette.
Sonja is one of more than 300 children who have been fostered by Bob and Edna Touchette at their home on Washington Street. The Touchettes adopted nine of their foster children, including Sonja.
Bob built the home in 1972 and it was filled with children ever since. But a fire broke out Monday morning and while everyone made it out safely, the house and everything in it was a total loss.
“It’s what we did. We took care of kids. That was our life and that was their home,” said Edna Touchette through tears on Monday. “The kids needed a place and we needed to be able to give out love.”
“That home was a life I couldn’t have have had if they didn’t adopted me,” said Brenda Touchette.
“They have literally spent their entire life caring for other people, taking in kids who are in very messed up situations and giving them a home, giving them stability,” Sonja said.
Sonja and more than a dozen other foster and adopted children, now grown, came back to Washington Street to help their family on Monday. They have set up a GoFundMe page and said they hoped the community would come together for the Touchettes after the family did so much for the area.
“You watch people sacrifice for other peoples’ well-being. You just … all you think is no one deserves this,” said Janell Ramirez, who lived at the home.
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