Jerilynn Brown Obituary, Death;- A 13-year-old girl tragically lost her life in a house fire in Missouri, just weeks after overcoming a type of bone cancer, as reported by her father.
In the early hours of July 4th, the Independence Fire Department responded to a fire at a residence located at 1101 North Lake City Valley Road.
The Missouri Department of Public Safety’s Division of Fire Safety (DFS) confirmed in a news release on Monday, July 7, that the fire, which took place in Buckner, Jackson County, resulted in the deaths of two individuals, including a 13-year-old girl.
The release indicated that a second individual later died from their injuries, while at least one other person remained hospitalized.
The young victim was identified as Jerilynn Brown, who had successfully battled osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, just weeks prior to her untimely death, according to her father, Jerry Brown, who spoke to KSHB 41. She had been discharged from Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City in late June.
“I want her to be remembered for who she was: she was a bright soul,” Brown expressed regarding his daughter, as reported by the outlet.
“She made gifts for them. Every nurse received a present,” Brown recounted, referring to Jerilynn’s gratitude towards the medical staff who cared for her during her hospital stay, according to KSHB 41.
“Every nurse and doctor signed this heart she created. She made it with love while battling cancer because she was an exceptional person,” he added, as per the station.
Brown confirmed that Jerilynn’s mother and a firefighter also sustained injuries in the fire, as reported by KSHB 41.
Emphasizing that he will miss his daughter’s hugs the most, Brown told the station, “Everyone who met her knows how wonderful and amazing she is.
A GoFundMe set up to raise money to help the family rebuild amid the tragedy said of the victim, “Jerrilynn was a bright, brave, and beautiful soul who had just overcome a long battle with cancer only two weeks prior.”
“Her strength and spirit touched everyone who knew her. To have her taken so suddenly after all she had endured is beyond heartbreaking,” the message added. Independence Fire Chief Jimmy Walker said of the fire, “To see a young girl who just beat cancer to have to have it end like this,” according to Fox 4 Kansas City.
“I’m speaking on all of our folks our heart goes out and we are all very upset about this as well,” Walker added, per the outlet. The second victim’s name has not been released. He died on Sunday, July 6, Fox 4 Kansas City reported, citing family. A woman remains in the hospital with life-threatening injuries, the outlet noted.
The DFS is investigating whether fireworks used the night prior to the blaze could have been the cause of the fire.
“The DFS investigation showed the fire originated on the residence’s covered back deck. Consumer-grade fireworks being used the night before could not be eliminated as the cause of the fire,” Monday’s news release stated.
