'I cried and I cried and I cried': Coquitlam single mother loses pets, daycare in house fire

Ramona Toth says she's heartbroken after a fire destroyed her Coquitlam home on Jan. 2.

“They told me 'there’s a fire.’ When I heard fire I fell to the ground and the lady from the gym came to help me to stand me up because I was screaming about my dogs. I said, 'Get my dogs out get my dogs out – you have to get my dogs out.'” Toth told CTV News.

Her two dogs, Jet and Cora, didn't make it out. Four other dogs that belonged to a friend of hers also died in the home that day.

“For two days in a row I cried and I cried and I cried, and I can barely talk to anybody," said Toth.

Beyond the tragic loss of the six pets, Toth also lost her licensed daycare business which operated out of part of the house.

"I'm not quite sure what to do," said Toth, regarding the lengthy process in dealing with insurance, emotional recovery and finding a new home. "I have to do things in a specific order, so right now I'm going to have to sleep on couches and do my best to...I don't know. That's all I can tell you, I don't know what to do."

Toth's Green Star Childcare looked after eight children. She says the families, though understanding of her situation, are now left scrambling to find a solution.

“It’s crazy. It was full all the time. Every single daycare is full all the time.”

Toth is well known in the Lower Mainland trail-running community, and helped launch a Facebook group with more than 2,000 members.

That's where she met Jonathan Bucyk, who, along with other friends, has helped Ramona and her three sons get back on their feet.

“She’s done so much for us all that the least that we can do is pay her back for everything she’s done for the community,” said Bucyk.

Her friends have collected donations and launched a GoFundMe campaign that's nearing $20,000.

“Oh it makes me cry—every day since it happened, I can’t believe, so much so much they give,” said Toth, regarding the support from the Coquitlam community.

Although she has insurance, Toth says she's been told it could take time before she sees any financial compensation. She adds that it will likely only cover a fraction of the losses. She's also uncertain if she'll ever run a daycare again, considering the lengthy licensing process and the soaring prices to rent a big enough home.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.