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People pitch in to build a horse named 'Heaven' a new home after wildfires

After surviving an inferno, a horse named Heaven has a new place to call home.

After surviving an inferno, a horse named Heaven has a new place to call home.

The Carrol family lost nearly everything to the Sevier County wildfires last November. Everything except their horse: Heaven. 

When they went to see the damage, they found their daughter Izzy's therapeutic miniature horse standing alone and badly burned, but alive. 

"We just heard this scream, and I could just see my whole family take off that way, she was there," Izzy's mother Aliza Carrol said.

Since then, Heaven has gotten quite the makeover. Her scars have mostly healed and she's been reunited with her best friend Izzy.

Izzy has non-verbal autism, but she has a special communication with Heaven. Therapy animals like Heaven have been found to be an immense boon for bringing out the social side of young children living with an autism spectrum disorder.

Heaven is more than just a pet to the family, so they wanted to take care of her the best way they could.

Unfortunately, transitioning to rebuilding after the fires posed a number of challenges, and like most everyone affected, the Carrols had to make do with what they could. The fence at their new home wasn't strong enough to hold Heaven, but thankfully kind strangers were willing to step in and lend a hand.

"We're getting phone calls like 'Hey, what do you need?' And I'm like a couple fences, whatever's cheapest, and she goes 'No, we're doing it right," Carrol said.

Teressa Short saw Heaven's story on Facebook, and reached out to local businesses for donations.

"I had a pony just like her when I was little," Short said. "Broke my heart, pulled my heartstrings... and here I am. Helping this family in anyway possible."      
         
And it worked. Board by board, more than 20 volunteers from Lowe's and First Church of God in Greeneville put together a new fence for Heaven. 

As they worked, Izzy watched while clinging tight to Heaven. 

"She may be non-verbal, but she loves and I'm good with that," Carrol said. "Because I love God, they love God. God's the main reason."

It's an unbreakable bond, held together by the love and kindness of others. And now, the Carrol family has another reason to be thankful that a piece of Heaven is right here on earth.

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