He lived just long enough to die a hero.
A 6-year-old boy who perished in a Bronx fire along with his twin sister and 1-year-old brother is living on through organs he selflessly donated to three people in need, his family said.
Oseas Parks-Harris donated both kidneys, a liver and his pancreas to three people between the ages of 8 and 37 who had been on a national waiting list.
“Those people could have died but he saved three lives,” said the boy’s father, Kwesi Harris. “I’m proud he saved three lives.”
Doctors worked feverishly to save the lives of Oseas and his sister, Isis, after a massive May 11 fire tore through the Fordham apartment building where they lived.
Their brother, Liam, died that day. But the twins — in critical condition, and on respirators — fought on for days at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell before succumbing to the effects of smoke inhalation suffered during the fire.
Harris said his son’s organ donation brought him some measure of comfort.
“It is hard,” he said. “It’s hard to lose my kids.”
Liam was the youngest of Harris’ 14 children. Harris said he had the names of all his kids, except Liam, tattooed on his arm. He said he would be adding Liam’s name soon.
The organ donations were facilitated by the organization LiveOnNY, which works with transplant centers and hospitals to match donors with recipients.
“This is an unimaginable loss for any parent,” said Leonard Achan, LiveOnNY’s president and CEO. “That they thought of others in saying yes to organ donation during such a time of grief is a powerful testament to their generosity, and will ensure that Oseas will live on through his gifts.”
Harris said he is planning a funeral for his children next week. He said he would be launching a GoFundMe site to help cover the expenses.
One adult suffered serious injuries from the Bainbridge Ave. fire, and another person suffered minor injuries, FDNY officials said. Three firefighters were also treated for less serious injuries at a local hospital.