Jess Hardiman
A six-year-old boy has tragically died after trying to save his younger brother from a house fire, with their family saying they are balancing the ‘grief’ with the knowledge that their son made such a ‘heroic’ choice.
William Brice was at his grandparents’ North Virginia house with brother Zachariah, three, when the house suddenly erupted into flames on 10 April.
While their grandparents and older brother Logan, eight, safely made it out of the burning property, the two younger children sadly didn’t make it.
William and Zachariah were unresponsive for 45 minutes after firefighters pulled them from the house and, while they didn’t appear to have suffered externally from burns, they were later declared brain dead as a result of smoke inhalation.
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Their grieving family have revealed that the two boys were found huddled together, with William appearing to try and shield his younger brother from the fire.
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At the time, William had also been wearing his Captain America t-shirt.
“They told us that when William and Zach were found, William was actually covering and protecting Zachariah like a shield,” their dad, James Brice, told People.
"We knew that to be his character because that’s just who he is. He, himself, is a hero."
The firefighters came to visit the family in hospital, where they explained how they’d found the two brothers.
They gave William and Zachariah firefighter medallions, naming them honorary firefighters from their hospital beds.
James added: “Zachariah was always following William everywhere and William was so proud. He would tell everyone, 'That’s my baby brother.'"
And the boys’ heroism has also continued after their tragic death, after becoming organ donors.
"The doctors said their organs were still strong," James said.
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"That was the most painful thing to see for us - we could still see their heartbeats on the screen and their vitals but there was no brain activity because of the smoke inhalation."
James said hearing that William and Zachariah’s organs could be used to help other children offered some hope to the family.
"We are balancing the grief of missing them and at the same time proud that our 6-year-old made such a heroic choice," he said.
"Through the organ donations, we are also hopeful that another family will get to experience a miracle thanks to our boys."
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.