After going through an unimaginable tragedy this week—Shaun Mobley had one thing in particular to say to parents.
"Tell your kids you love them and make sure that they really understand and know that you love them," he told News Center 7 in an exclusive interview on Sunday.
Just three days ago, Mobley lost his wife, two sons and father-in-law when his Kettering home caught fire.
Alicia Mobley, 36; Jacob Mobley, 2; Shaun Mobley Jr., 4; and Forrest Carrol, 76 perished in the Thursday morning blaze.
"My wife showed me every day, my wife showed her kids every day that she loved them," Mobley said. "Just look at them right now, give them a hug, give them a kiss, hold them tight and tell them you love them because you don't know when's the last time you're going to say that."
Mobley survived the fire along with his two daughters. He described the terrifying scene inside the home, which caught fire at about 3:45 a.m.
"The next thing I know, [Alicia] wakes me up and she said honey something's on fire."
He said she then went across the hall to get the two boys while he headed downstairs to get the girls.
"If I knew she wasn't behind me I wouldn't of came down the stairs," he recalled. "And the smoke, I couldn't see nothing, I kept on yelling for her."
Thursday was also the couple's 11 year wedding anniversary.
He summed up the devastating losses his family suffered by saying, "In five hours my life was gone, it was gone."
In the wake of the tragedy, Kettering community members have banded together to raise money and provide clothing and Christmas gifts for the three survivors.
Kari Basson, community relations coordinator for the Kettering City School District said staff members at Kettering Middle School and Indian Riffle Elementary are currently taking up a collection to help with immediate needs of the family. A donation drive will be held on Dec. 21 in the gymnasium at Indian Riffle Elementary School, 3090 Glengarry Drive in Kettering.
Mobley said he was overwhelmed by the outreach.
"I appreciate everything everybody's done. I appreciate Indian Riffle School, I appreciate Kettering, I appreciate KMS, I appreciate people I don't even know," he said.
