Sa’fyre Terry was just six years old when she lost her father and three brothers and sisters in a fire. The blaze–which was caused by arson–also took her hand, foot, and badly burned 75% of her body. Now, after enduring multiple, painful surgeries, Sa’fyre is inspiring the world to show a little kindness this holiday season, and the world has responded in kind.
Sa’Fyre, who now lives with her aunt Liz Dolder, said earlier this year that what she wanted most for Christmas was to fill up their card holder. Dolder says she didn’t want Sa’fyre to get her hopes up, but said they might get a few. After her request went up on Facebook, the message quickly went viral, and now Sa’fyre has over 200,000 cards from all over the world and over 4,000 packages.
“’Wow’ is the general reaction in my family. We never thought something like this was possible,” Liz said.
Not only has Sa’fyre’s story touched so many lives, she’s being recognized for her bravery in a horrific situation by her friends and family, who nominated her to have a wish fulfilled by Baking Memories 4 Kids. Her best friend, Zachary, received a gift from the organization after his father–a New York State police officer–was killed in the line of duty, and he had a hand in her Christmas surprise. This week, Baking Memories 4 Kids’ Frank Squeo showed up to personally tell Sa’fyre that she and her family are going to Disney World.
“You guys are gooing to go to Disney World, Sea World, Universal, Legoland and all the Florida amusement Parks. You’re going to be the star of every park and go to the front of every line,” Squeo said.
Mrs. Dolder says that Sa’fyre is so humble, she’s shocked every day when they show her the amount of mail she’s received. The family says they’ll lay out every card outdoors sometime soon and take a picture as part of a “thank you” to everyone who took the time to send something to Sa’fyre.
“To hear a number is one thing, but you really need to see how many cards there are to understand,” Dolder said.
If you’d like to send Sa’fyre a card, the address is:
Sa’fyre Terry
P.O. Box 6126
Schenectady, NY 12306