Woman Searched Through Rubble to Find Late Mom's Belongings After Her Home Was Destroyed by L.A. Fires
In addition to her mother's prized possessions, Saphia Hall and her husband also lost their IVF medication when their Malibu house burned down
Saphia Hall
Stuart and Saphia Hall with their two dogs; their Malibu home is seen on fireSaphia Hall and her husband, Stuart, both 37, lost their Malibu home in the devastating Los Angeles wildfires
Among the items lost were items belonging to Hall's late mom, Margaret, which she had held onto since her death 20 years ago
"I could make out some things like our bed frame, bathroom tiles, a cooking pot, ornaments but nothing I could take back with me," Hall tells PEOPLE
A British-American videographer lost everything, including prized possessions belonging to her late mom and her IVF medication, when her home was destroyed in the deadly Los Angeles wildfires.
Saphia Hall, 37 — who was born in Manchester, England, but has lived in the U.S. with her American husband, Stuart, also 37, for 10 years — was 17 years old when her mother, Margaret, died. For 20 years, Hall kept items belonging to her mom in her home but lost them all when the L.A. fires burned her apartment in Malibu to the ground.
Saphia, Stuart and their two poodles, Barley and Whisky, moved into the rented waterfront unit almost two years ago, Saphia tells PEOPLE. When they evacuated on Tuesday, Jan. 7, they "really thought" they'd be returning.
David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty
A photo of the beachfront homes, including Saphia and Stuart Hall's, that went up in flames in MalibuRelated: Millions of Californians Are Relying on Watch Duty App for Real-Time Fire Information
After heading back to the area three days later, Saphia says, “Driving up to the home and seeing everything gone, that was the first time I cried. We saw so many photos and videos, but actually seeing the rubble where all our belongings used to be, it was really really sad.”
“I went there with some kitchen tongs and a bag to put anything salvageable in but everything was destroyed. I tried to figure out the way the building fell to work out where the jewelry box my mum gave me would be...I went through the rubble in those areas but couldn’t find anything,” she adds.
She shares, “I could make out some things like our bed frame, bathroom tiles, a cooking pot, ornaments but nothing I could take back with me."
Saphia Hall
A photo of the damage at Saphia and Stuart Hall's Malibu homeRelated: Before-and-After Photos Show the Sudden Devastation from the L.A. Wildfires
Recalling the things she'd kept from her mom through the years, Saphia tells PEOPLE, "I am a pretty sentimental person so I had a chest of memories — cards, letters, photographs, I kept diaries for every year and other trinkets."
In addition to the jewelry box, Saphia says she had "a piece of lace" from the outfit her mom "was wearing when she passed away," as well as other things, like "a watch she bought me when I was around 11."
Meanwhile, Saphia says the couple wasn't able to get renters insurance because it wasn't available in the area when they moved in. But despite the "heartbreaking" loss, she tells PEOPLE the couple feels "grateful to have made it out safe with our two dogs."
Saphia Hall
A photo of the wildfires near MalibuThe couple also lost their IVF medication when their house burned down. "We have unfortunately been through many rounds of IVF, all of the medication, supplements and equipment we've been using to improve our chances have gone," Saphia says.
"We were set to start another round of IVF and not sure when we will be able to now," she adds.
Despite everything that's gone, Saphia insists "there's no point in looking back and dwelling on what I should have grabbed," adding that the "main thing" is that they are all safe.
Saphia Hall
Saphia Hall in her Malibu apartment, which was destroyed in the Los Angeles wildfires"We were really packing to get away from the smoke, by the time we were packing the power was out so it was hard to see everything and really think about what we needed. We packed enough for a few days and some additional things like passports," she tells PEOPLE. "At the time, we just never imagined that we would be in this situation right now."
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Without a home, Saphia says that both of them are staying "on my husband's brother's sofa in Santa Monica, so we need to figure out where to rebuild our lives."
Saphia Hall
Saphia Hall with her two dogs on the balcony of her Malibu apartmentA GoFundMe page set up by Saphia's sister, Nisreen Dawkins, has so far raised over $27,700 as of Monday, Jan. 13.
"To see the amount of support we are getting is just amazing to experience, it's really made this whole experience a lot easier to go through," Saphia says.
She adds, "I can not express how amazing the outpour of support has been, people really are amazing, they want to help. We are so blown away and grateful."
Click here to learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires.
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