Nowhere to go: New Mt. Juliet parents displaced from home in 1-in-a-million disaster
Devario Parson was bouncing down the halls at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown, readying a car seat for his 2-day-old son, Dawson Liam, when he got the text.
The young family's home was going up in flames.
He fell to his knees there in the hallway, confused and in disbelief.
"How was I going to tell my wife we had nowhere to take our newborn son?" Parson recalled thinking. "I was devastated."
The family's apartment was one of 24 units significantly damaged at Glass Creek Apartments in Mt. Juliet at about noon Aug. 12. The sudden disaster was sparked by a one-in-a-million lightning strike.
But the unusual cause of the devastation came later.
At the hospital, Devario and Angealic Parson could only cry as they awaited answers.
Their home was newly set up and redecorated for their baby, complete with gifts from friends and family. Now, it was all gone.
'Evacuate now!!'
The urgency of the moment was palpable in a tweet from Mt. Juliet Police Department at about noon Aug. 12: "Residents at Glass Creek Apartments ... your apartment building is on fire. Evacuate now!!"
A firefighter was critically injured in the response as floors crumbled under the intense heat, but he has recovered.
After the disaster, two dozen apartments were uninhabitable and tens of thousands of dollars in personal property was destroyed.
But the community has rallied around the displaced residents and injured firefighter. MJ4Hope raised more than $100,000 in donations.
Devario Parson's employer, Camel Express Car Wash, stepped in right away to support the couple with living arrangements – first with a hotel and then an Airbnb. Parson is a sales and fleet manager for the local chain of car washes.
“They knew they had to provide the three basics for Dawson and themselves – food, shelter and clothing,” Camel Express Chief Operations Officer Tyler Slaughter said. “As always, they went to the grind and made it happen.”
Baby's late arrival may have saved lives
The blur of losing a home and possessions that included a number of gifts for the baby on top of new parenthood has kept Parson from fully processing the impact of the fire, he said.
But Dawson’s birthday already has added significance to the couple because he arrived later than expected. Dawson’s due date was Aug. 7.
“God is great,” Parson said. “We would have been in the apartment (when the fire occurred). He literally shielded us from a fire that could have taken us out if we had been there.”
The Parsons were offered another unit at Glass Creek apartments. Before the fire the couple had planned to rent one more year in Mt. Juliet to save and buy a home.
But they have instead moved forward on a townhome purchase in the Hermitage area and expect to close soon.
“Most important for me from this experience is the literal meaning of faith and family,” Parson said. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen.”
New Mt. Juliet Camel Express offering car wash for donations
The new Camel Express car wash just opened at 4195 N. Mt. Juliet Road on the north side of Mt. Juliet in September. The company has announced it will not charge customers for washes Oct. 2-8 and instead will accept donations for the Parsons as part of a grand opening.
Devario Parson has worked for Camel Express about five years and was described as an employee "with unwavering dedication" by CEO Read Hauck.
Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter @ AndyHumbles.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Glass Creek fire hit as Mt. Juliet couple were coming home with baby
