‘I’ll miss them for the rest of my days’: Loved ones remember 2 children who died in Sewickley fire

SEWICKLEY, Pa. — The entire front lawn of the Sewickley United Methodist Church was filled with people Tuesday night as family, friends and loved ones held a candlelight prayer vigil for two children who died in an overnight fire on Miller Way.

RELATED >> ‘Our entire world’: 2 children killed in Sewickley house fire

It was a dark day in the tightly-knit borough of Sewickley, as community members came together while trying to come to grips with these tragic circumstances.

“I lost two of the dearest people in my life,” said Jay Sin, a family friend.

“We did holidays, we just had Thanksgiving together ... those two children would brighten anyone’s day,” said family friend Kym Lebak.

Friends remembered Lyric, who celebrated her ninth birthday just last week. They told Channel 11 she was a little girl who always found the beauty in life, even when her life wasn’t always easy. Her brother, 6-year-old Wylde, was nonverbal until recently, according to loved ones.

“I don’t know how I did it, but somehow, me and him together playing, running around, catching Pokemon or throw(ing) a ball around, it got him to open up and become more of a person,” said Sin. “I’ll never see them again. I’ll miss them for the rest of my days.”

Those who knew them best struggle to make sense of it all, but take comfort in seeing the outpouring of love and support from the people of Sewickley, including first responders and the Quaker Valley community.

“To see the community turn out like they did tonight, I was standing in the back in disbelief saying, ‘This is incredible.’ As heartbreaking as this is, I know that this community will rally around Shelby and their family to make sure she gets through this,” said Lebak. “I’m really lucky to have been a part of their lives as their nanny for some time and have those memories of them.”

The children’s mother is still in the hospital. Investigators said she had to jump out of a second-story window to escape and suffered burns.

The Allegheny County Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

City council members looking to partner with nonprofit to eliminate medical debt for Pittsburghers

©2022 Cox Media Group