A MOTHER who lost everything when fire destroyed her home said she has been left “overwhelmed” by generous donations.

In the weeks since the blaze at her home in Havelock Close, Blackburn, Marie Outlaw and son Ben, seven, have been given clothes, furniture and toys by wellwishers.

The pair were left homeless by the blaze, which destroyed treasured photographs and keepsakes of Marie’s dead son Toby, and have been staying with a number of different relatives.

Marie, 31, said because they lost everything in the fire, which happened while they were out, her son did not even have a school uniform to go to classes in. But she said the response since her plight was featured in the Lancashire Telegraph had been amazing.

She said: “There are so many people to thank. I can’t quite believe how generous people have been.”

The pair have received counselling from a charitable organisation called Jigsaw and have received donations of clothes and Ben’s school uniform has been supplied by retailer Grey’s and Whittakers in Blackburn market. Marie said that even mums at Ben’s school have helped donate items.

She said: “We lost all of our possessions. Ben is still particularly upset about what happened.

"He has been having nightmares about the fire. It is tough to accept that all of our memories of Toby have been lost as well.”

Toby was only seven-weeks-old when he died two years ago after developing a rare condition.

Marie said she is still looking for a new place to live but that because she was receiving unemployment benefit, she was struggling to find a new home.