A fire near the corner of Central Avenue and Schaefer Street in Bushwick killed Brownsville siblings.
The two girls, Payton Gomez, 7, and Haley Harris, 8, are from Brownsville and were visiting their grandfather in the neighborhood this past weekend when the fire broke out.
They were rushed to Wyckoff Hospital in the area where they were pronounced dead. A family friend who is close to their mother, Renita, is helping the family raise funds for upcoming funeral expenses on Go Fund Me.
The description in the crowdfunding page explains:
“Renita lost her two daughters Haliey and Payton in a fire in Bushwick on December 8th. They were eight and seven years old. Renita was a student in my advisory class at Bushwick Leaders’ High School in Brooklyn. She became a mother at a young age, but that never stopped her from loving her daughters fiercely. I remember visiting Renita at home after Haliey was born. I got a chance to hold the new baby and was struck by what a responsibility Renita would have in raising this sweet girl. Since then, Renita has always impressed me with the deep love and care she gave to her children. Renita and her husband Vincent have had several deaths in the family this year. I know they can use financial support to help cover funeral costs and to provide counseling for the family in the wake of this terrible loss.”
As of this writing, the campaign has raised a little over $3,500 out of the $25,000 needed to help the family.
Cover image courtesy of the Go Fund Me campaign