Benefit To Be Held For Parents Who Lost 3 Children In Del City Fire

Adrianna Iwasinski, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The community is rallying around a family who lost three young children in a fire last week.

A makeshift memorial is still standing, but Stephanie and Chris Dunham have chosen not to return to the scene where their three children perished. The memory of what happened at the home is still too fresh.

Andrea Hillery is Stephanie Dunham's aunt and also her foster mom.

"We take it one day at a time," Hillery said. "It's like a dream and we can't wake up from it. None of us can."

Hillery said though the entire family is grieving, Stephanie is taking it the hardest.

"She misses her kids every day. She tells me, 'Mom it hurts,' and I understand that it hurts and there's really nothing I can do to take the pain away. I want to take the pain away but I can't. It hurts me to hear my baby hurting," Hillery said. "Those kids were her life. She was with them 24/7. She quit working to be a stay at home mom because she didn't never want to leave her kids."

Despite the pain, Hillery said somehow Stephanie is getting through it.

"She's not ever going to wake up and everything be fine because it's not every going to be fine," Hillery said.

Members of the Mid-Del Community are planning a Dunham Family Benefit on Saturday, Feb 5 at 351 N. Air Depot Rd in Midwest City, just north of Heritage Mall.

Organizers are looking for donations for a silent auction that will be held to raise money for the family.

There has also been a memorial fund established for the family at Oklahoma Employees credit Union. A bank spokesperson said there have been more than 100 donations made into the account so far.

Hillery said the family can't thank those people who have helped them enough and hopes the support continues to come in.

"We really do thank everybody for helping them out a lot. I mean they need all the help they can get," Hillery said.

Stephanie spoke to News 9 by phone Wednesday afternoon. She said she did everything she could to save her kids and had a message to everyone: "Love your kids everyday because you never know when they will be gone."

One-year-old Kailey, 3-year-old Krystal and 4-year-old Christopher died in the fire that happened in Del City on January 4.

Funeral Services for three children have been set for Saturday at 2 p.m. at Sunny Lane Funeral Home.

A website dedicated to help hurting families is asking anyone who wants to donate to help the family to do so at the Destiny Christian Center website.

A spokesperson with Baptist Integris Medical Center reported their mother Stephanie is listed in good condition at Baptist Burn Center in Oklahoma City.

Saturday's beneift will be from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. at Ain't Misbehavin and will include a craft fair, bake sale, silent auction and dance off.

Learn more about the Dunham Family Benefit

More:

• Fire Investigators: Space Heater May Have Sparked Del City RV Fire That Killed 3 Children
• Del City Mother Tried To Save Children From RV Fire