INDIANAPOLIS — A toddler killed who died after a house fire on Indy's east side is saving other lives with her passing.
JaWana Rembert is celebrating the life of her 1-year-old daughter, Leilani, and boyfriend, Raymond Diggs Jr., after they died following a house fire on Indianapolis' east side Jan. 9.
Firefighters responded to the home on Elwin Drive just before 10:30 p.m. for a report of a working fire. Once inside, firefighters found Diggs and Leilani near a couch that had caught fire. the other children were found in a back room of the home.
All five were removed from the home in cardiac arrest. Crews on the scene administered CPR and were able to regain a pulse for all five victims before they were rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Briggs, 31, and 15 mo. old Leilani later died at the hospital.
JaiWana Rembert tells WRTV that her daughter Leilani's organs were donated Thursday morning. She hopes they will help another mother be able to bring their child home.
As of Thursday morning, Rembert tells WRTV that her two older boys, 12 and 14, are “progressing” and that her 3-year-old daughter “isn’t out of the woods yet”, but has made small steps in the right direction. All three remain in critical condition.
Rembert remembers her boyfriend as a caring father and loving man.
Briggs was a native of Mobile, Alabama, according to Rembert.
"He came up here in search of a better life, which he was achieving," Rembert said.
"Our daughter Leilani was a happy, rambunctious baby. She danced and she loved Cocomelon, which her and her sister lovingly called "JJ".
Indianapolis Fire Department officials say Briggs was Leilani's father and also the father of the 3-year-old.
"Raymond was a great man and even greater father," Rembert said.
The fire is believed to have started with a couch inside the apartment. The exact cause remains under investigation.
Rembert's co-workers are also raising money to help her pay for the medical care for her children and funeral expenses.
-
'It means that I can go to work': Local single mom gets free car
A single mom who’s been without a car for months got a new set of wheels Wednesday, and it didn't cost her a dime thanks to an auto-repair company with local ties.
South Madison Fire Territory expansion canceled due to new property tax law
Eight local governing bodies had previously agreed to expand the South Madison Fire Protection Territory, but now, that plan has to be scrapped.
Neighbors seek changes to the intersection of 16th and Delaware Street
Neighbors and community leaders on Indy’s Old North Side are calling for additional safety measures for what they say has long been a dangerous intersection.
AI data processing center could rise in Hancock County
Cloud computer technology, including artificial intelligence, needs data centers to function. A developer hopes to convert more than 700 acres of Hancock County farmland into an AI data campus.
