Very little is left after a devastating house fire that nearly claimed the lives of Acasha Jackson and her four sons. The family lost everything they owned, but Acasha holds on to what truly matters: her family.
"You always been so courageous?" I asked Acasha's son.
Eleven-year-old Ser’Kajust Jackson responded with quiet determination. "I’m not scared of nothing. Whatever it takes to help my family, I’m gonna do it."
It was Ser’Kajust’s bravery that may have saved his family. When the fire broke out early in the morning, it trapped his mother and three brothers on the second floor of their home.
Watch: 11-year-old boy's bravery helps family escape from house fire:
"I heard a shatter of glass," Acasha Jackson recalled.
As smoke and flames quickly filled the house, Acasha realized they were stuck.
"I ran to the top of the stairs. I seen fire on the back door," she said.
Faced with a life-or-death decision, Ser’Kajust made the bold choice to jump from the balcony.
"I was so scared, I didn’t even look both ways. ‘Help, help, help’—that was just going through my mind," he said.
Injured from the fall, Ser’Kajust ran to a neighbor’s house for help. Meanwhile, Acasha dropped her two youngest sons from the balcony to safety and stayed there with her nine-year-old until the fire department arrived to rescue them.
As they try to pick up the pieces, Acasha suspects foul play.
"The air conditioner was definitely pushed in," she said.
Home surveillance footage shows an arm reaching into the window and the air conditioning being pushed in. With her family traumatized and their home destroyed, Acasha faces an uncertain future.
"I don’t know," she said tearfully. "I’m a single mother of four. I do everything for my boys. I work hard for my boys. It’s just devastating. Now we’re back to square zero—not one, zero. We have nothing."
The Red Cross has come to the aid of the Jackson family and says more volunteers are needed.
"Being able to put financial assistance in someone's hands when they have lost everything can help make a small difference," said Red Cross disaster responder Curtis Marshall. He urges more volunteers from the inner city to join the Red Cross when disaster strikes.
As the investigation into the cause of the fire continues, the family has set up a GoFundMe page. Those wishing to help can also contact the Red Cross for more information.
Neighbors came out to give whatever they could to the Jackson family as they sat on the curb, reflecting in front of their home. Before leaving, I felt compelled to tell 11-year-old Ser’Kajust, "You should feel proud, man. You did the right thing."
He nodded, sniffled, but didn’t reply.
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