A heartbroken family of seven whose home burned to the ground last week was gifted $10,000 on Monday as part of The Today Show’s Knock of Cash giveaway.
Zena and Isaac Hammoud and their five children were at an evening procession at their mosque around 9pm on September 30 when they received a phone call saying there had been an incident at their home in Bexley, south-west of Sydney.
By the time the family ran back to their home, they discovered it engulfed in flames, Zena and Isaac’s son Hussain told The Today Show.
A heartbroken family of seven (pictured left is Isaac and centre is Zena) whose home burned to the ground last week was gifted $10,000 on Monday as part of The Today Show’s Knock of Cash giveaway
Zena (pictured) and Isaac Hammoud and their five children were at an evening procession at their mosque around 9pm on September 30 when they were told there had been an incident at their home Bexley
By the time the family ran back to their home, they discovered it engulfed in flames
‘We were in fear that one of siblings was inside the house because we were all over the place at the mosque,’ he said.
‘It was pretty tragic. My mother copped it the most because she is obviously the most because she is obviously the one that stresses the most about these things. My father was with her at the time, he didn’t receive it too well.’
‘My sisters were in shock and my little brother was in shock.’
An emotional Isaac told the Channel 9 program the money will help pay for a new home to live in.
‘We were in fear that one of siblings was inside the house because we were all over the place at the mosque,’ the couple’s son Hussain (right) said
An emotional Isaac told the Channel 9 program the $10,000 will help pay for a new home to live in
The family have spent the last week staying with relatives and friends at separate houses.
‘We expected some help from the government – that is number one – we couldn’t get any,’ Isaac said.
‘We tried our best but still up to now, seven days, we didn’t get any help. We just need a house to move in and we are still waiting for that.’
When asked what he lost in the fire, the father responded: ‘everything I own.’
‘This is all I have left,’ he said as he touched his jacket.
Zena said the $10,000 will also help pay for furniture, clothing and books for one of their daughters’ schooling.
The family have spent the last week staying with relatives and friends at separate houses (pictured is debris at the scene)