A 51-year-old Ohio mother has died after suffering severe burns while trying to save her son with cerebral palsy from a fire at their home.
Ultimately, Sheila Drake could not save her 18-year-old son, Jacob Drake, who died in the fire on Feb. 9 at the apartment complex in Medina where the family lived, WOIO reported.
Just arriving on scene of #BREAKING news deadly apartment fire in Medina. 18 year old victim @cleveland19news pic.twitter.com/1QRIOZi9d4
— Alyson Bruner (@AlysonBruner) February 9, 2017
Jacob’s father, Robert Drake, was also severely burned in the blaze while trying to save his son, who was confined to a bed due to his condition.
Last week, the couple had spent their wedding anniversary and Valentine’s Day in the hospital, The Medina Gazette reported. The couple has seven surviving children.
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The couple’s 28-year-old son, Josh Reindl, told The Gazette that Jacob and his mother had a special bond.
“He was her life,” he said.
Drake’s Facebook page is filled with posts containing photos Jacob.
Reindl, a former U.S. serviceman in the Marine Corps, said the aftermath of the blast was worse than anything he saw in two tours overseas.
“It’s something out of a horror movie,” he said.
Since the fire, Robert Drake’s condition as been upgraded from critical to fair.
The Ohio Fire Marshall has still not found the origin of the explosion, which displaced eight families who lived in the complex.
A GoFundMe account has been created to cover the funeral costs of Drake and Jacob.
Cleveland 19 News Cleveland, OH
(H/T: The Medina Gazette)
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