A "HEARTBROKEN" Tillicoultry family, who just had a new-born baby last week, are appealing for kind donations after losing their belongings in a house fire over the weekend.

Little baby Scarlett, mother Susan Matiland and her teenage girl and two boys need baby things including a pram, a cot and clothing after a blaze tore through the family kitchen in the early hours of Sunday (26 July).

Small or big, any donations are welcome, the family is also looking for clothes that would fit a 5-6-year-old boy and a 12-13-year-old boy, a girl aged 14-15 as well as a size 6-8 woman’s clothes for Susan, also some large man’s clothing. They also need household and kitchen basics, plates, bowls, glasses and cutlery, the family will now have to move into council housing.

Scarlett was born last Tuesday (21 July) after a C-section, she is in Southern General Hospital in Glasgow.

Scarlett was born with fluid in her brain and had an operation on Friday, but has since been moved from the incubator and is now in a level two neonatal care unit, it is understood her condition is improving every day.

Heartbroken grandmother Agnes McKnight, who has been taking care of the wee ones since the incident, told the Advertiser about the weekend’s unfortunate events. She said: “She [Susan] phoned me screaming hysterically that the house is on fire. Everything she had for the baby was destroyed. And we are keeping our fingers crossed because the baby had fluid in her brain.” She said that people have been more than generous: “My friends from Glasgow, Maureen McKnight and Angela Marie Cullen, have rallied around and someone has offered a van so they are bringing some things.” And people from Alloa, her friend Jennifer and Gillian, have also been helping with clothes and other items.

Agnes added: “People are very kind, I can’t thank the Glasgow and Alloa people enough.” Susan has worked all her life, but is currently unemployed so any donations can make the difference. The family also lost many of their personal belongings including Susan’s baby photos in the blaze that gutted the St Serf’s Road home.

Friends and family quickly set a Facebook page up to organise donations and there has been an overwhelming response from the community.

Those who can help should find and message the Help Baby Scarlett and Her Family page on Facebook.

People can also contact Agnes directly on 01259 572 048. She said that if they receive too much of anything they will donate the extra items to a local charity, like Home-Start.

Those who would like to donate money should keep an eye out on Facebook as a fundraising justgiving.com page may be set up later.

Alternatively, visit the Alloa Advertiser office on Drysdale Street and we will make sure the family receives any donations.