Local Business Gifts Michigan Family Minivan After They ‘Lost Everything’ to a Fire That Killed Their Daughter

A local automotive repair shop is attempting to aid a family in Michigan that suffered the devastating loss of a child and the entirety of their belongings in a house fire last month.

Auto DR, a repair shop in Ira Township, gifted Ladarrell Brown and Asia Summers’ family a minivan after being “displaced from their apartment after a fire broke out in the early morning hours of March 23,” the company wrote in a Facebook post announcing the donation. “The family lost everything including their eldest daughter, Laurrii’ell.”

Brown was at the Warren Manor Apartments unit with his children at the time of the fire, and able to rescue the children, aged 3, 4, 6, and 8.

But 8-year-old Laurii’ell’s injuries on her arms and face were too severe and was rushed to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit where she later died, reports Fox 2 Detroit.

Macomb County Community Action, a social services office in Warren, contacted Auto DR and informed its owner Dustin Rutkowski of the family’s situation, knowing the repair shop was looking for a family to donate a vehicle to.

Right away, Rutkowski found the family he and his team would be glad to assist.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the family,” Rutkowski said in a statement. “To be able to give back to the community that has supported my business for the past decade is very heartwarming. I am hoping that we can do this on an annual basis.”

Apart from the Chrysler Town & Country minivan, the family was also gifted $1,000 in gas cards, according to People. 

“I want to thank our customers and members of the Anchor Bay Chamber of Commerce that helped make this community outreach a reality,” Auto DR added.

The family has created a GoFundMe to help get them back on their feet after such a tragic loss.