Second child dies from Overland Park fire: ‘She brought light into every room’
A second child has died from injuries suffered in an early Saturday morning apartment fire in Overland Park that initially hospitalized five members of one family.
Overland Park Fire confirmed the death in an email Thursday morning. And a GoFundMe account created for the family provided an update that the 10-year-old had died.
“Madison was a beautiful, loving, and kind little girl,” the GoFundMe update said. “She had such a gentle spirit and was always so respectful to everyone around her. She brought light into every room and was deeply loved by all who knew her.”
The girl’s 11-year-old brother died earlier this week. The family friend who started the fundraiser said in an update on Tuesday that “he was protecting his little sister during the fire — a true act of courage and love that defines who he was.”
Jason Rhodes, a spokesperson for the Overland Park Fire Department, said in a release Thursday that the cause of the fire is still under investigation and “no additional details are available at this time.”
“Our hearts are heavy for the family and community over this tragic event,” Rhodes said in the release.
Fire broke out in the family’s Sheridan Ridge apartment, located at 83rd and Farley Streets, just before 3 a.m. Saturday.
The first crews on scene reported seeing smoke and fire coming from the two-story apartment building. At that time, victims were on the roof, a fire department release said.
“While firefighters were rescuing two victims from the roof, crews located two additional victims in a second-story bathroom and brought them out through a window,” according to an initial release from the fire department on Saturday. “One additional victim was found on the ground outside the apartment.”
One adult and three children were transported to area hospitals in critical condition and one adult was transported in stable condition, the fire department said.
The family’s GoFundMe has brought in more than $14,000. In the update about the second child dying, the friend asked for privacy for the family.
“There truly are no words for this kind of loss,” the friend wrote. “This family has now endured the unthinkable, and they need all the love, prayers, and support we can give.”
