2 days ago
Family of victim from the Fall River assisted living home fire anxiously await updates
The family of one of the victims from the Fall River assisted living home fire is anxiously awaiting updates on their loved one.
Priscilla Andrade said she was overwhelmed with fear after learning that her aunt, Brenda Andrade, was one of the victims of the fire, which broke out around 9:30 p.m. at The Gabriel House. The fire killed nine people and injured 30, one of whom remains in critical condition.
She said she immediately began calling relatives, desperate for any update on her aunt's condition.
"She means a lot to me, besides my mother," said Andrade. "She's the one I call. We talk every day on the phone."
Brenda suffered severe burns to approximately 50 percent of her body and was transferred to the burn unit at Rhode Island Hospital, where she remains in critical condition, according to the family.
Worried about the care at the facility
Priscilla has not been able to see her aunt yet. She said that she has long been worried about the care provided at this assisted living facility and wishes she could have moved her aunt into her own home.
"They don't check on you like a normal hospital would," she said. "All they did was come and give her her pills and that was it."
She even described moments where she walked in and found her aunt's medication on the floor of her unit. Priscilla said that she often visits the Gabriel House. She stops by every week to bring her aunt food and soda and had spent time with her on Sunday just hours before the fire broke out.
"It's scary because I can't get to her to let her know that I'm here," she said.
The Andrade family said it will be a long road to recovery for them, but they are focused on overcoming this tragedy and hope that Brenda can make a full recovery.
