Vernon couple moves to Kitimat, totals vehicle, suffers workplace injury, then home destroyed in fire

Photo: GoFundMe

A young Vernon couple that moved north to Kitimat this year has suffered a triple setback.

Jackson Hawthorne and his girlfriend Georgia first were involved in a car crash that wrote off their only transportation, then that was followed by a serious workplace injury, and finally their home was destroyed in a fire.

Jackson's mom, Sandi Wainwright, says Jackson was driving his girlfriend to work when someone turned left in front of them and they couldn't avoid the collision.

"They both, thankfully, walked away with minor injuries, whiplash and soft tissue damage," his mother says.

Then, two weeks ago, Jackson had a workplace accident in which a nail gun fired a nail right through his wrist.

He required surgery and is unable work for now at his construction job.

But that didn't stop him from jumping into action on Monday, when he returned home to find their apartment on fire.

Jackson was able to crawl though the burning apartment and save the couple's kitten.

"Firefighters were able to save a few important items, but sadly they lost everything they own," says Wainwright. "They have the clothes on their backs and their kitty – that's all.

"My son is a very lucky young man. Aside from inhaling a lot of smoke, he's uninjured," said his mother, who has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help the young couple out.

"His story of saving his kitten scared the hell out of me," said his mom. "I was quite devastated."

The couple moved up to Kitimat in January, where Georgia grew up, after meeting in Vernon four years ago.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the campaign had raised $1,315 towards a goal of $10,000.

Photo: Sandi Wainwright