For any parent who has lost a child, its a painful tragedy — but its particularly hard when the death is sudden and could have been avoided.
An unimaginable tragedy is now shaking the small community of Batlow, in New South Wales, Australia. Two innocent girls’s game with a pillow ended in terrible consequences – that no one could have possibly imagined.
It was on Monday that the girls’ mother, Tanyka Ford, 29, saw her twins Aisha and Lailani playing with a burning pillow.
The 3-year-old girls had reportedly been playing with the pillow next to a log fire when their mother snatched it from them and, with her 6-year-old son, disposed of it outside, according to The Daily Telegraph.
After that, the twin girls locked the door after their mother had walked out.
Seconds later, a huge fire was sparked inside the house and the flames soon stretched high against the sky. Tanyka immediately panicked – but there wasn’t much she could do – the girls had locked themselves inside the house.
Tanyka frantically tried to smash windows to get into the house, sustaining cuts and wounds in her desperate struggle to save her girls, as per reports.
According to the police, she and her six-year-old son could only stand and watch as the house burned down.
Police officers and firefighters who rushed to the scene were eventually able to get into the house – and after an heroic effort they managed to get the girls out.
But by then it was already too late.
The sisters are believed to have died from smoke inhalation. They were found unconscious, holding each other’s hands.
Their mother wrote an emotional post on Wednesday, describing the heartbreaking loss of her beloved girls.
“Mummy’s beautiful babies, I miss you more than words can describe right now,” Tanya wrote according to 7News.
“Being absolutely gutted and hating myself for not being able to help more.
“My babies, I love you so much, I don’t know how I will ever be able to comprehend how this could have happened.”
It is still unclear what caused the fire. The investigation is currently underway and police say they are are keeping an open mind and looking at several alternatives.
“The mother spoke to investigators last night. She was traumatized but did assist investigators in as far as she was able to,” Riverina District Commander Superintendent, Bob Noble, said.
The girl’s aunt Tammy Dubois, 39, said Tanyka was screaming at the girls to unlock the door because “there must have been something else burning in the front room,” the Daily Telegraph reported.
“The girls couldn’t speak, they had their own special language, they adored each other, they were found in the front room huddled holding each other’s hand,” she said.
“Our hearts are broken, my brother Geoffrey is beside himself, he was asked to identify their bodies in hospital today but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He doesn’t want to be here.”
Tammy described the twins as ‘wild, little Tomboys’ who loved playing in the dirt and had a special language only they understood.
A fundraiser has been created by the family, with the goal of supporting Tanyka during this difficult time.
The twin girls’ uncle, Levi Ford, writes that ‘anything no matter how small will be appreciated’.
“My sister tragically lost her three-year-old twin daughters in a house fire, which claimed not only the lives of these two young children but also their home and belongings,” Mr Ford wrote.
The tragic event leaves deep scars in an already troubled community, according to Riverina District Commander Superintendent Bob Noble.
“There is a community severely affected by the deaths of these two young people, they were babies, they were twin girls, and a community has been through the devastation of recent times with bushfires,” he said.
I can’t even imagine the pain they must be going through. My heart felt condolences to the family and friends.
This poor mum will probably spend the rest of her life with what if’s playing over in her mind. Ye in that moment of tragedy, I’m sure she did her best.
I’m sending my condolences. May the two beautiful angels fly high 🌈🧚♀️🧚🏼♂️Rip little ones ❤️
