A nine-year-old boy who died along with his parents and older brother following a suspected arson attack at their home in Ireland had undergone heart surgery just two weeks earlier, it has been revealed.
Jayden, nine, his brother Callum, 12, and their parents, Philip and Kim English, all died in the fire at their home on Birch Avenue, on the outskirts of Waterford, in the early hours of Tuesday. The couple's two other children, a 14-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy, remained in a critical condition in hospital on Wednesday, the Irish Mirror reports.
Heart Condition and Surgery
Jayden and Callum were both born with heart defects, according to a social media post shared in 2020 by BUMBLEance, Ireland's children's ambulance service. Jayden had undergone heart surgery just two weeks before the tragedy, Irish public broadcaster RTÉ reported.
In a tribute posted on social media on Wednesday afternoon, the ambulance service remembered the two boys and their parents for touching "the hearts of many during their time travelling with us."
Tribute and Community Response
"We will always cherish the memories we have and remember the times we shared on board. Our team are without words as we try to process this unimaginable loss," the tribute read. "We extend our deepest condolences to their family during this devastating time and our thoughts & prayers to their siblings in critical condition. Please know that you are not alone in your grief; the whole community stands beside you, offering love and support during these difficult days ahead."
At a prayer vigil at Sacred Heart Church on Wednesday evening, Father Gerry Chestnutt called on the local community to "wrap each other in love."
Appeal for Information
"We may even find words hard to speak, but our emotions can be shown," he told the congregation of around 500. "Each one of us knows that what happened in Birch Avenue yesterday should never, ever have happened. An innocent family preparing for a new day should have done what they did every day: parents preparing their children for school. An innocent family taken from our midst in a most horrific and violent way. I want to say, even though they're not here, that the persons responsible need to have the courage now to stand up, admit what you did and face the legal consequences of what you did. And I would also say to all here present: if you know anything whatsoever about what happened on Birch Avenue, please contact An Garda Síochána."
