A North Carolina family experienced a terrible tragedy last Tuesday when their autistic 13-year-old son died after accidentally lighting the Christmas tree in the family home, several American media outlets reported.
Under the supervision of a caregiver who was caring for him in his mother's absence, Brandon Gonzales allegedly got hold of a lighter which he used to light the Christmas tree. The flames then spread to the rest of the house.
The carer and a five-year-old girl who were also in the house managed to escape the burning house, but Brandon remained trapped in the fire.
Despite caregivers' efforts to save him, the 13-year-old boy died in the fire.
“I miss him so much; I'm dying of sadness,” expressed his heartbroken mother Brenda Contreras Juarez.
“We have lost all our material possessions, but the hardest thing is that we will not be able to regain what hurts us the most,” she added. He always made me happy with his smile. He was everything to me.”
Brenda Contreras Juarez lived alone with her three children in the house that was completely destroyed by the flames.
A crowdfunding campaign has been launched on the GoFundMe website.