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'I never imagined anything like this': Mom of UT basketball player grateful for support after fire

The blaze on Feb. 26 wiped out the belongings of Charmane Zeigler and her 4-year-old grandson. The public responded by pledging more than $360,000 thru GoFundMe.

John North, Robin Wilhoit

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Published: 4:38 PM EDT March 29, 2022
Updated: 4:05 PM EDT March 30, 2022

After all the family has been through, it's as if God decided they'd endured enough and it was time for some help from the angels.

That's how Charmane Zeigler sees it, anyway.

The angels are all the people from Knoxville, East Tennessee and everywhere else who stepped up this month to help after a fire the night of Feb. 26 destroyed the New York home of Zeigler, the 4-year-old grandson Nori who she's raising, and her 19-year-old son, University of Tennessee freshman guard Zakai Zeigler.

The fire wiped out everything the Zeiglers had, including a custom-made wheelchair that her grandson, who has special needs, used. But it also set in motion a huge wave of love and support for the Zeiglers that takes Charmane's breath away. Still.

Credit: AP
Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler (5) runs a play against Arkansas during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

"It's hard, but I can't say enough about Knoxville because Knoxville has got us through the toughest time of...our...lives," she told WBIR's Robin Wilhoit, emphasizing each word with care. "And I don't know how to repay everybody. But I don't have a family, and the way that my family was embraced through this ... I never imagined anything like this."

This month, a GoFundMe set up by Zakai Zeigler with UT's blessing raised more than $360,000 to help the Zeiglers. Donors eclipsed the goal -- $50,000 -- within minutes after it was posted.

Now Charmane Zeigler, a native New Yorker, is working on creating a new life for herself and little Nori right here in Knoxville. She tells WBIR she's looking for a home where they can live as Zakai Zeigler pursues his dream of college and NBA basketball greatness.

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