Woman jumps 30 feet, breaking her back and ankle, to escape apartment fire

By Tia Maggio

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    TYBEE ISLAND, Georgia (WJCL) — If you live on Tybee Island or a frequent visitor, you may know a convenience store worker “Fidgit” Bouffard.

“If you come into my store, you’re going to leave either laughing or smiling,” Bouffard said. “Then I’ve done my job.”

Bouffard’s life changed forever July 22, when a fire burned down her entire apartment complex.

Bouffard had just laid down for a nap when a sudden noise caught her attention: “When I opened up that door, I couldn’t see…smoke was that thick already.”

Her apartment complex on Seventh Avenue was already fully engulfed in flames.

With smoke and fire blocking her path, Bouffard’s only way out was through a second-story window. And so, she jumped, her grandson’s voice giving her courage.

“That was my strength. I just heard him in my head, ‘Mee-maw, you can fly.’ Okay. Let’s fly. So, I flew,” Bouffard said.

Bouffard fell 30 feet, breaking her back and ankle. She and six others lost everything in the fire, including her car, personal documents, and sentimental keepsakes. She had no health or renters’ insurance.

Despite the trauma and the long road ahead, Bouffard says she’s overwhelmed by the kindness of those around her: “Thank you for everything. Your kindness, your donations, your courage.”

And she’s determined not to let the fire break her spirit.

“My puzzle will be complete again. It may take years, but it will be complete…I have will.”

Bouffard also wants to thank Sabrina Lucas—the young girl who saw the smoke and called 911—as well as the first responders who rushed to the scene.

Now, Bouffard is focused on healing, finding a new home, and paying off mounting medical bills.

“If anything scares me, it’s those bills,” Bouffard said, “Because I don’t want the doctors to go without the nurses that help me. I want them to be taken care of.”

Officials have not yet determined the cause of the fire.

Click here for a link to donate to support Fidgit Bouffard.

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