ORANGE PARK, Fla. — Loved ones are asking for help after a 4-year-old boy and his mother died in a fire that happened the day after Christmas at an apartment complex in Orange Park.
This is a holiday tragedy impacting a loving family. Four-year-old Rozae Fitzgerald passed away at a hospital in Orange Park, while his mother Alexis Fitzgerald was airlifted to the burn unit in Gainesville. Family members told Action News Jax that Alexis was pronounced dead at 7:15p.m. on Wednesday night.
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“I’m 25-years-old, and I lost two of my family members. I mean, my family is literally gone,” Devyon Green said about his fiancée and son.
The fire was at an apartment complex on Bentwood Lane the day after Christmas. Rozae’s father, Devyon Green, said he wasn’t home at the time but rushed back as soon as he heard what happened from a family member.
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“They brought me into the room. They were pumping on his chest for like 15-20 minutes, and I was sitting there holding him, crying just saying, ‘Get up buddy. I love you.’ and ‘Get up for me,’” he said. “Just trying to tell my son to pull through, you know. This is something nobody should have to go through.”
Fitzgerald was on life support since the fire happened. Family said that her organs will be donated to those needing transplants.
“Alexis, unfortunately, she has no brain activity,” family member Erica Brown said.
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Another family member, McKenzie Baswell, was also taken to the hospital with injuries and is now out of the ICU. Family said that, for the most part, she is expected to be okay. Baswell’s father, Scott Baswell, said everybody has been coming together to support each other.
“To hear from investigators, had my daughter not gone out that window when she did, she’d be in the same position, it would be more devastating to us,” he said. “It’s lucky she’s alive as well. We’re happy for that but very devasted by Rozae and Alexis being gone.”
Brown has since created a GoFundMe to help with medical and funeral expenses, as well as clothes, food and other items to help out Green and Baswell.
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Family members are holding a drop off location Thursday and Saturday, items collected will be donated to survivors of the fire to help them during this challenging time, as they’ve lost everything.
Location: Normandy Athletic Association (10727 Normandy Blvd)
Time: 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. on Thursday and Saturday Noon - 2 p.m.
Clothes, toiletries, furniture, beds, kitchen supplies, food, etc.
McKenzie - 15 years old. Medium/ large shirts. Pants 10/11. Shoes 9.5.
Wayne - 25 years old- L or XL shirts / 32/34 pants / size 13 shoes