Brunswick County family facing difficult recovery after deadly house fire

NORTHWEST, NC (WWAY) — Two members of a Northwest family are recovering from severe burns they suffered in a house fire last week.

The fire killed 3-year-old Paisley and 1-year-old Landon Presnell.

Their father, Dustin Presnell, and his 8-year-old step-daughter, Letty, are expected to be in the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Chapel Hill for 2 months.

Dustin’s partner and Letty’s mother, Jessica Clarke, was not hurt in the fire.

Jennifer Norris, who has known Dustin’s sister Brooke Cartette for many years, said the loss of Paisley and Landon is enormous.

“There’s not enough words to explain about how excruciating it is to lose a child, that is a parent’s worst nightmare, is outliving their child and having to deal with that loss,” Norris said.

In addition to the enormous human loss the family suffered, Norris said they’re also facing a huge financial burden.

“Not only are they covering two unexpected funerals, medical costs, home, you know, things of that nature, like, it’s all very much so gonna add up.”

Norris has already helped the family by organizing a GoFundMe for them, along with gathering volunteers to begin cleaning up the remains of their home, which started on Tuesday.

Norris said heavier equipment will be brought in on Wednesday to begin demolishing the home.

Meanwhile, Cartrette is supporting her family’s physical recovery up in Chapel Hill.

She said her brother was badly burned while attempting to save his kids.

“He ran to try to find them and try to get them,” Cartrette said. “But he slipped and fell. And, like, you could see, even in the trailer where he, um, partially went through the floor, because it was already burning out.”

Cartrette said Dustin suffered 3rd degree burns to more than 20% of his body.

Letty has 3rd degree burns to 17% of her body, primarily on her feet, from when she ran out of the house.

Norris said it’s tough to imagine what Letty is going through.

“I can’t even begin to properly describe how hard it has been to be on the phone with Brooke, checking in and hearing Letty in the background, because she’s just screaming, because it’s that painful. To see an 8-year-old go through that, and uh…There’s nothing that you can do other than just be there, and you can’t even hold her little hand because it’s bandaged up.”

While Jessica was not hurt, both Norris and Cartrette said she has her own healing to go through.

“She has to be strong right now, and I want her to have that space to heal, because there is absolutely some survivors’ guilt there,” Norris said.

“And I know that is because she’s putting all on her… all her focus on Letty right now that I don’t even, I think the gravity of everything can, um, she’s still in shock.”

No details about the funerals for Paisley and Landon have been announced at this time.