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Single mom with 4 kids struggles to find new home after fire
A single mom with four young kids is trying to find a new place to live after their apartment home burned down.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A single mother with four young children is trying to find a new place to live after their apartment home burned down.
"She’s doing well. Her foot is a little burned."
When she spoke with FOX 35 News on Wednesday, Barbara Elenus was holding her 2-year-old daughter, Sofia, with lots of love. Orange County sheriff's deputies rescued them from their burning apartment home over the weekend, and it was all caught on body camera video.
"He’s like, ‘Give me the baby! Give me the baby!’ as he was climbing. I’m like, 'Uh, I don’t know. I don’t want to give you my baby."
However, she agreed, and the two were saved. Now, this single mom must take a new leap of faith.
"I don’t know what’s next and that’s the scariest part."
She's trying to find a new home for her family.
"I wouldn’t care if it was a box, just so that it’s something I can stay at safely with my children."
Elenus said she lives paycheck to paycheck as a chef at the restaurant Too Much Sauce. In July 2020, FOX 35 interviewed Elenus as she told us she was happy to get back to work when the restaurant reopened during the pandemic.
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Watch Florida deputies help save baby from apartment fire
Body-cam video shows the moment Orange County deputies worked together to rescue a child from a second-story apartment fire.
"Very simple, very humble. She likes to work. She works hard, and everybody loves her."
Restaurant owner Evan Dimov said Elenus has worked for him for the last four years. He set up a GoFundMe page to help her find a new home.
"Her car broke down, so she lost everything. Buy her clothes back, get the kids clothes. Have a place to live that has furniture."
"I can’t pay rent. I live day-to-day. I was struggling before this happened."
All the Elenus family can do is hold on to hope.
"I have faith because I know that only God still has me here."