Couple rebuilding after Le Mars home explosion; GoFundMe created to help after tragedy

LE MARS, Iowa — "My mom and dad were standing outside on the porch by the landlord was down in the basement when the explosion happened."

It's been nearly two weeks since a Le Mars family lost everything when the home they were renting exploded, sending them to the hospital. Now, their family is helping them rebuild with some help from Siouxland.

"My parents moved to this house about a month ago and like the last week, they were dealing with this awful smell which they thought was the sewer. It started out being sewer and it just progressively got worse and worse," Megan Dimmick's parents, Jeff and Laura, survived the unthinkable. A natural gas leak caused the home they were renting to explode.

The house they were renting in Le Mars exploded on July 13th after the landlord attempted to relight the pilot light in the basement. All three were injured but survived. The Dimmicks lost everything.

"I found out that Jeff and Laura were involved in this accident and so immediately I knew that I wanted to do something," said Tia Hoogland, "but what do you do when when somebody loses absolutely everything."

Tia has been a longtime friend of the family. She contacted Megan about starting a GoFundMe for Jeff and Laura. They have a goal of raising $10,000 to help them get back on their feet.

FIND THE GOFUNDME PAGE HERE

"They would give the shirt off their back to absolutely anybody. They love my son like their own grandson," Tia said about Jeff and Laura. "And I think that speaks volumes to the type of people that they are and I know if anybody else was in this situation that they would be the very first people out there helping."

There is a pile of rubble where their house and another destroyed in the explosion once stood. and the Dimmicks are healing a little more each day.

They're both stable," Megan said of her parents. "They're both out of the hospital. My dad is doing really good with the burns. My mom will be going in for surgery. For a broken clavicle. But you know, we're each day is a new day and we're getting better."

Thankful for the community rallying behind them during this unimaginable time.

"We just want to thank everybody who has already donated for Jeff and Laura," Tia said. "It doesn't go unnoticed and aside from, you know, the food, the clothing. They're going to need medical expenses and just finding another home. All those things go into what's being donated to the GoFundMe."

"They're having a hard time accepting all the donations and the love and support that they're getting," Megan said, "because they're not the ones to ask but they're very overwhelmed and very appreciated."

Megan, Tia, and the Dimmick family say they are so grateful to the Siouxland community for rallying behind them during this time of need.

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