A heartbroken father shared the difficult choice he had to make to remove his 2-year-old son from life support following a tragic incident in a Washington Heights apartment that was engulfed in flames.
King Riley Corporan, just 2 years old, was pronounced brain dead after being left unattended along with his siblings in their mother’s residence on Audubon Avenue on the night of March 20, as reported by the authorities.
Expressing disbelief at the mother’s actions in leaving the vulnerable children alone, Francisco “Gus” Corporan, the grieving father, revealed the emotional turmoil he faced in deciding to disconnect life support for his beloved son. He expressed, “That’s my son, I didn’t wanna just take the plug off. I couldn’t.”
According to neighbors, there had been ongoing disputes between the children’s parents, Francisco “Gus” Corporan and the mother, regarding her lifestyle choices.
A neighbor recounted how the family’s living room was ablaze when their 8-year-old child sought help by knocking on a neighbor’s door.
Despite the tragic circumstances, there was a glimmer of hope for the father as he considered the possibility of King becoming an organ donor, believing that a part of his son would live on through saving another life.
“My son is still here, not with me, but he’s out there,” Corporan expressed. “I know he’s still alive because his heart is still pumping in somebody else’s body.”
While King’s 1-year-old brother remains in critical condition, bravely fighting for recovery with ongoing medical attention, a fundraising campaign initiated by the father’s coworker, Princiee Norvil, aims to support the family during this challenging time.
The 8-year-old sister of King barely escaped the devastating fire.
The mother, Skilyn Maldonado, 23, is facing three misdemeanor charges related to endangering a child, according to the authorities. Despite the prosecution’s request for bail, a judge opted to enroll Maldonado in an alternative to incarceration program.
The tragic incident unfolded while the children were left unsupervised at home on March 20, as per Citizen reports.
Neighbor Yokania Germosen played a crucial role in helping the 8-year-old girl escape the inferno.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up with the goal of raising $100,000 to assist the affected family.
The harrowing ordeal saw the 8-year-old girl desperately seeking help from neighbors as flames engulfed their residence. The community rallied together to aid in the rescue efforts amidst the chaos.
The tumultuous relationship dynamics between Maldonado and Corporan were a point of concern for neighbors, with disputes over lifestyle choices reportedly escalating into heated arguments.
Maldonado is expected to appear in court again on April 25 as the legal proceedings continue.