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Leo Lafreniere of Petersham could do little to stop the inferno that began in his kitchen and swept through the rest of his home in late May. He lost "all his clothing, hearing aids, (and) personal belongings," a GoFundMe created for him said.
However, the most important thing to Lafreniere was his dog, Kate Murphy. Kate suffered smoke inhalation in the blaze and sadly succumbed to her injuries. Leo buried his best friend in his front yard next to his mother, the fundraiser said.
Leo's story touched many people, as the campaign raised $4,000 in just a couple of days. Organizers reached their goal of $5,000 less than a month after the fire.
But he could end up needing more than that as his home will be stripped to the studs and rebuilt, the fundraiser said.
Aside from money, organizers also asked for clothes for the man.
He wears a Men's XL shirt. For pants, he's a 40 waist and 29 leg. He loves Cargo shorts. His shoes are a 10.5 wide as he typically gets diabetic shoes. Clothing can be dropped off at ... the Gardner Fish and Gun Club at 538 Clark St. in Gardner.
Click here to learn more about the GoFundMe campaign.
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