Then, less than three weeks later, while living in a rented home filled with gifts of food, clothing and household items, the couple's infant daughter suffocated when a donated crib collapsed.
``The crib had broken loose in one of the corners, so she had slid down in the corner,'' Kinney said. ``There was a blanket that held her up from falling through all the way to the floor.''
She discovered her 6-month-old daughter, Sara Holmes, trapped in the collapsed crib around 12:30 a.m. Friday. Kinney and the baby's father tried to resuscitate her until emergency crews arrived.
Kinney said they don't blame the people who gave them the baby's bed after the devastating Oct. 30 fire.
``It's just something that happens,'' she told The Grand Rapids Press.
She and Holmes, who plan to be married, have a combined family of four remaining children. They are relying on each other and their friends and families to get them through their recent hardships.
Later in the day Friday, only hours after Sara died, Holmes had her portrait tattooed on his chest in her memory.
A friend, Robin Martinez, took three of the couple's children to a Christmas parade held Saturday in Grand Rapids.
``They needed to get away from the house and give mom and dad some space,'' Martinez said.
The children have been through a lot, first losing a home and then a young sibling, Kinney said.
``These children are too young to experience such tragedy in such a short time,'' she said.
Furniture is being delivered to the couple's rental home, and donations of food and clothing continue to come in. To help brighten their days a bit, they also have received two golden retriever puppies, Sandy and Dusty.
Kinney said she and Holmes continue to be overwhelmed by the generosity of others.
``There's a lot of gratitude that ... there's people out there that care and keep us in their thoughts,'' she said.
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