IS? I’M GOING TO BRING SOME. IT IS FUN. >> MY NAME IS JENN MAXWELL AND WE MOVED TO MAKE AALIYAH ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. WE LIVED IN PARADISE SEVEN YEARS BEFORE THAT. WE LIVED IN THE BAY AREA AND I WAS BORN AND RAISED, SAN JOSE, FREMONT, WORK IN SANTA CRUZ, BUT I TOOK CARE OF MY PARENTS FOR A LONG TIME AND THEY BOTH PASSED AWAY SUDDENLY AND I COULDN’T LIVE THERE ANYMORE. I CHEAT. I WRAP IT UP LIKE THIS, AND I TWIST IT. I FOUND ANYTHING INVOLVING MY HEART WAS WHAT I NEEDED TO DO. LOOK WHAT I BROUGHT? WHEN WE MOVE UP HERE AFTER MY PARENTS HAD PASSED AWAY, I THOUGHT I NEED TO GET INTO CAREGIVING SO THAT IS HOW I FOUND SUNSHINE ASSISTED LIVING AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING THERE EVER SINCE. YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. THAT’S ROOM NUMBER ON IT’S MY HEART. IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE A NURSING FACILITY. IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE A REHAB. IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE A HOSPITAL. IT LOOKS LIKE A HOME. YOU RING WHEN YOU ARE DONE, AND I’LL GET IT. OK. I’VE WORKED THERE FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS. MOVING UP, I WENT FROM CAREGIVER TO ACTIVITIES TO ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR TO MANAGER, THEN THE FIRE. WE RESCUED EVERYONE. WE EVACUATED EVERYONE FROM ALL THREE BUILDINGS. >> EVERYONE MADE IT OUT. >> THAT WAS SOMETHING ELSE, HUH? >> PLEADED IT? -- WE DID IT. >> COMEDY RESIDENCE DID YOU HAVE? >> -- HOW MA RESIDENTS DID YOU HAVE? 50 IN TOTAL. ALL THE HAIR ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY FACE GOT SINGED. I JUST STARTED GROWING MY EYEBROWS AND EYELASHES BACK, BUT -- SORRY, IF I DON’T LAUGH, I’LL CRY. TREES WERE EXPLODING. THERE WAS A FIRE TORNADO IN FRONT OF MY CAR. I COULDN’T SEE THE LINES ON THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ME. THERE WAS NOTHING BUT CARS AND SMOKE AND FLAMES. THE HOUSE TO MY IMMEDIATE LEFT BURST INTO FLAMES. VICKI: I WOULD IMAGINE THAT MORNING WAS REALLY SCARY. >> IT WAS. I WAS TRYING TO THINK WHEN IT HAPPENED, MORNING OR NIGHT. I AM ALL MIXED UP. >> IT DIDN’T REALLY H ME UNTIL I THINK WE WERE SOMEWHERE NEAR CHICO OR DURHA AND I SAW THE SKY WASN’T REALLY BLACK. IT WASN’T MY TIME, FOR REAL. DID FEEL LIKE MIDNIGHT AT 10:00 IN THE MORNING. WHEN I SAW A BREAK, THERE WAS BLUE SKY, AND AS SOON AS I GOT ALL THE RESIDENTS OUT OF MY CAR, I CRUMPLED TO THE GROUND AND LOST IT FOR A FEW MINUTES. I GUESS THAT WAS MY BODY’S WAY OF REACTING. THE LONGEST DAY EVER. MY LOVELY ACTIVITY WALL. RIGHT NOW, THESE ARE EIGHT OF OUR 10 RESIDENTS. VERA SHIRLEY, DORIS, RICHARD, MILLIE, BETTY, AND IRENE. THEY ARE AWESOME. WE WORKED REALLY HARD AND GOT THEM ALL REHABILITATED AND BEAUTIFIED AND OPENED THE COTTAGE ON JULY 1. VICKI: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE JENNA? >> MY GOODNESS SAKES, JENNA’S TOP OF THE WORLD. SHE IS A SWEETHEART. JENNA: I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE. SORRY. [LAUGHTER] THANK YOU, MISS BETTY. WHEN I FIRST SAW MY HOME AFTER WE CAME BACK AND IT WAS DEMOLISHED, ALL THE ASH EVERYWHERE, THAT HURT, AND I THOUGHT NOTHING CAN BE WORSE THAN THIS. THE DAY THEY CLEARED MY LOT, I WAS BASICALLY ON MY KNEES. THAT WAS VERY HARD TO SEE.>> HE 8. I CRIED BECAUSE WE CAN ALL RELATE SO MUCH. IT IS CRAZY, YOU THINK ALL THE TEARS ARE GONE. VICKI: -- JENNAH THE THINGS THAT CANNOT BE REPLACED, AND I LOST IT A LITTLE BIT. I MOURNED. MY PARENTS ASHES WERE IN THER E. IN MY MIND, IS THERE IN MY HEART SO THEY WILL BE WITH US AT THAT HOUS BECAUSE WE ARE REBUILDING IT ALMOST THE SAME WAY IT WAS. YEAH, I’M TOTALLY EXCITED. I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS TO BE FINISHED, LOOKING AT HOW MUCH PROGRESS THEY HAVE MADE MAKES ME EXCITED. WE HAVE STEPS. WE DIDN’T HAVE STEPS BEFORE. I’M SO EXCITED. I THOUGHT MAYBE WE WOULDN’T MAKE IT BACK TO MAGALI OR PARADISE, BUT WE DID. THAT IS WHAT KEE ME GOING EVERY DAY JUST ONE STEP FORWARD EVERY DAY. VICKI: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MARRIED? JENNAH: NEXT MONTH, IT WILL BE 20 YEARS. 20 YEARS HE HAS PUT UP WITH ME THAT LONG. MY HUSBAND’S NAME I BARRY. MY LOVELY ABODE. VICK HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU AND BARRY MOVED? JENNAH: MIKAEL YMER, READING -- MAGALIA, SANTA CRUZ -- VICKI: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING HERE? JENNAH: SINCE CHRISTMAS DAY, DECEMBER 2 WE WANT TO BE COMFORTABLE AND MY HUSBAND IS 6’2", AND I HAVE THE GIANT DOG. HE NEEDS ROOM TO MOVE AROUND, AND I NEEDED ROOM TOO AND THAT WAS BEFORE MY KIDNEY STUFF. I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START WITH THAT, TO BE HONEST. SO I DID HAVE SOME KIDNEY DISEASE BEFORE THE FIRE AND I KNEW THAT, BUT THEY WERE FUNCTIONING AT 75% SO IT WASN’T THAT BIG DEAL, BUT IN THE FIRE HAPPENED AND I GOT REALLY SICK AFTER DRIVING THROUGH THE FIRE. I DIDN’T REALIZE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. MY KIDNEY FUNCTION WENT DOWN TO AND THAT IS WHEN THEY DECIDED TO DO IMMEDIATE DIALYSIS. I HOOK UP EVERY NIGHT AND IT TAKES ABOUT 10 HOURS A NIGHT SO I CAN’T LEAVE THAT ROOM. I AM HOOKED UP INTO A LEASH BASICALLY, THAT’S WHAT I CALL IT. I HAVE TO HOOK A BAG UP ON HERE, A SMALLER BAG HERE. I HAVE ALL SORTS OF -- THERE’S A CASSETTE THAT GOES IN THERE AND ALL SORTS OF TUBES GET HOOKED UP TO THE OUTSIDE HERE. NOW UNTIL I GET A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT, AND I AM HOPING TO BE ON THE LIST ANYTIME NOW, I HAVE A TUBE THAT IS COMING FROM MY STOMACH RIGHT NOW THAT I ACTUALLY HOOK UP TO MY CYCLER, AND THEN I TURN IT ON, I RECORD ALL MY VITALS, AND I LIE DOWN FOR THE NIGHT AND IT DOES ITS STUFF. VICK OF ALL THE YEARS FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, IT HAPPENED THIS YEAR. HOW DO YOU RECONCILE THAT? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? JENNAH: I’M OK WITH IT. I MEAN, I’M NOT OK WITH IT, BUT I FEEL LIKE IT HAPPENED TO ME AND I AM STRONG. I WOULD RATHER IT HAVE HAPPENED TO ME THAN SOMEONE ELSE.I’M NOT’ HAVE MY BAD DAYS, BECAUSE I DO, AND IT IS NOT FUN. I CAN’T TAKE A BATH, BUT I CAN TAKE A SHOWER. I WENT FOUR MONTHS WITH ONLY TAKING SPONGE BATHS IN THE SINK AND WASHING MY HAIR IN THE SINK SO BEING ABLE TO TAKE A SHOWER WAS A GODSEND. I’M SO HAPPY ABOUT THAT. IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS. BUT I TRY TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT. I’M JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE. I COUL HAD A CARDIAC ARREST IN THE HOSPITAL WHILE THEY WERE WAITING TO PUT ME ON THE ANALYSIS. I’M JUST -- DIALYSIS. I’M JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE, HAPPY TO HAVE SURVIVED THE FIRE. I’M HAPPY. MY HUSBAND AND I ARE DOING FABULOUS, JUST GREAT. I GUESS THIS IS HOW WE GET INTO OUR ROOM NOW, BABE. I WOULDN’T PICK ANYONE ELSE TO ENDURE THIS WHOLE TRIAL AND TRIBULATION, AND THE UPS AND DOWNS AND AWESOME ALONG WITH THE ICKY, LIKE THE DIALYSIS. THIS IS SO COOL. [LAUGHTER] JENNAH: I WOULDN’T CHOOSE ANYONE ELSE BUT H TO GO THROUGH IT WITH ME. DON’T LOOK, DON’T LOOK. AS SOON AS I TURNED AROUND, I FELT MY KNEES AND STARTED CRYING. THIS IS AWESOME. THIS IS SO COOL. SO EXCITED. IT IS GETTING WAY BETTER. MY MOOD HAS INCREASED TENFOLD. LOOK AT THIS PLACE. IT’S CRAZY. I CAN’T WAIT FOR PARADISE TO BE THE SAME WAY IT WAS PRE-FIRE. WALK IN CLOSET, THAT’S DIFFERENT. NOW I FEEL SPOILED. I CAN’T WAIT -- AND I KNOW IT IS GOING TO TAKE YEARS, BUT I WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS. IT IS OK TO RETURN. IT IS OK TO WANT TO REBUILD. IT IS OK TO WANT TO REBUILD YOUR LIFE. [LAUGHTER] I CAN’T EVEN RIGHT NOW.