Chelsea Fire Survivor Dies

2008_10_jbalb.jpgThe 10-year-old survivor of a Chelsea fire that claimed his parents' and three sisters' lives was taken off life support yesterday. Jonzan Joa-Balbuena had been at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, in critical condition, since the Saturday blaze. He was later found to be brain dead, and his relatives decided to take him off his respirator and donate his organs. His uncle said, "We tried to do our best for him... we prayed hard. He knows we tried to keep him alive." And a family advocate who was helping with funeral arrangements for the other deceased family members wept to the Daily News, "I have to buy a [funeral] suit for the little boy now, after buying clothes for the other children, too." The FDNY found the apartment's smoke detector had been disabled.

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so sad. rest in peace, little angel.

Protect your children. Buy and test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

My heart is with the surviving members of this family. Unimaginable.

this is sad because I just found out they go to my nephew's school. I never experienced such sadness when I was growing up and they've already seen quite a bit.

God bless his soul.

Unimaginably sad.

This is sad even though I don't even have any nephews and don't know a single person who goes to their school.

Poor poor kid. Let this be a reminder to check your smoke detectors and reccomend the same to your friends and family.

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