PROVO, Utah — A Provo family is facing a heartbreaking new challenge just nine months after losing their longtime home due to arson.
"I watched the fire come over across the roof and consume my car and go into her bedroom where my young child had been sleeping with me and that corner was completely gone," Elizabeth Molinaro said of the fire that ravaged the home in the morning hours of Dec. 20.
Molinaro, her husband and three sons were all able to safely get out of the home.
"We ran out of the home with the pajamas on our backs and our coats that we grabbed on the way out," she said. "We were able to save about 10 totes of belongings, three of them are my children's memory boxes."
The cause of the fire was later determined to be arson.
"When we found out it was arson, it was the hardest thing because accidents happen, but why does somebody want you to suffer? Why does somebody want you to be hurt?," she asked rhetorically.
The Molinaro's were in court earlier this month as the suspect, 20-year-old Calliope Mylynar, was sentenced in connection with a string of fires in Provo last year, including the one at the family's house.
"It was hard that day," Molinaro said, "but they left with a sense of peace and safety and security."
While the family was able to relocate to a new house nearby they are now dealing with another obstacle.
"I'm currently diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer," Molinaro said Friday.
Molinaro has jumped right into treatment, receiving her first round of chemotherapy Thursday, something she admits is both physically and mentally taxing.
"I can't promise my children that I'll be available for anything because I don't know how I'll respond from day to day from treatment to treatment," she explained.
Good friend and former neighbor Katie Pelton is helping.
"I don't wanna lose her, she's a very dear friend and we've kind of helped her each other through a lot of difficult things," Pelton said.
Pelton has started a GoFundMe page for the entire Molinaro family.
"They're already devastated from the fire and this is just like one more thing, and she just was so overwhelmed," she said. "You really just need support of friends and family that are like, we're here for you."
While Molinaro says she has many hopes moving forward, whether it's returning to her regular job as a secretary at Dixon Middle School to more traveling more, she says one desire out the most.
"That I am well enough during treatment to be able to see my son play in a state championship football final," she said. "When we started this journey with him, he's a senior, our hope was that he could have the most out of his life experience, and that's an experience I can't get back."
The family has set up a GoFundMe that you can support here.
