After Harvey and house fire, cancer patient received a much-needed Christmas blessing
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Katoya Brocks is a survivor, living through Hurricane Katrina before moving to Houston.
"We had, you know, pretty extensive damages on the house," Brocks said.
Then, just weeks before Hurricane Harvey, she was diagnosed with cancer.
"The side effects of the medications and treatment is worse than the actual disease itself," Brocks said.
Harvey's wrath tore through the rental home Brocks shared with her 3-year-old daughter Nyla.
"I started to notice mold growing up the walls," Brocks said.
Then last week, any damage and belongings they had were finished off in a house fire that may have started with the heater.
A neighbor was coming home from church late when she started yelling for her to get out. Fortunately, Brocks' daughter wasn't there.
"I thank God so much for that, because she wouldn't have made it in the fire," Brocks said. "Her whole room was devastated, and then it just collapsed."
Her co-workers have been so inspired by her positive attitude, they actually raised money to be able to replace all the gifts under her Christmas tree.
They've also started a GoFundMe page to help with expenses, and helped her get into a new rental home along with furniture donations.
Even after the fire, they said Brocks still showed up for work, even though she had slippers to wear instead of shoes.
Grateful for their generosity, Brocks said she wouldn't have had a home for Christmas without them. But it's her little daughter that she said keep her going.
"Go to work, send her to school, take her to the park, read, just do everything I possibly can that way if something does happen, she has great memories," Brocks said.
