In a story that involves drug addiction, alcoholism, murder, and a tragic fire, emerges one girl who, although only 16 years old, has proven that heroes do exist, and that circumstances do not determine character. All of this came to light at an inquest on Monday, which shed more light on the horrific details of a fire that broke out in a housing complex in 2007, and a girl’s resolve not to lose her entire family.
On December 22, 2007, at the Anderson-Simpson-Whittaker household, when a 3 year old boy by the name of Jahziah Whittaker, and his five-year-old brother were playing with some school papers in their living room. Their mother, Diane Anderson, an alcoholic and drug abuser since her fiancé’s murder in 2005, was fast asleep in a nearby chair. The boys found her lighter and lit the papers on fire, which then quickly escalated into a disaster situation.
After a few minutes, the 5 year old boy saw that the fire was getting out of control and he went to wake up his sister, Ieisha Simpson. When testifying in court about the fire, Ieisha recalled how she was covered in sweat when she woke up and that it was very hot in her room. She quickly went downstairs with her brother and started screaming her mother’s name. When she got no response, Ieisha ran outside of the housing complex and started screaming for help. It wasn’t long before a neighbour heard her and came to help. Together, the two went back into the burning home to rescue the boys and Ieisha’s sister, Tayjah Simpson. While Ieisha and the neighbour were able to save two of Ieisha’s brothers, Tayjah, Jahziah, and Diane Anderson were all killed in the blaze.
Sadly, that wasn’t the end of the story. Now, four years later, everything has been rehashed and family members have had to live through it all over again as an inquest is ongoing into several issues, and with several organizations. One part of the inquest is investigating the TCHC, an organization that’s had its share of investigations lately. According to Ieisha Simpson, the fire alarm in their home was broken and always being set off for no apparent reason. When Diane Anderson complained repeatedly to TCHC about it, nothing was ever done, then leaving Anderson to remove the batteries to stop the incessant sound.
The Children’s Aid Society is also under inquest as it’s felt that more help and support should have been offered to Diane Anderson, who suffered from depression, drug abuse, and alcoholism, and more importantly, that help should have been offered to her children. Victims Services Toronto and the Toronto School Board are all also organizations that are now under investigation in regards to the fire and the family’s situation. What will be done about it is anyone’s guess at this point. As coroner David Evans, who presided over the hearing, stated “As upsetting or difficult or systematically challenging as a person’s life may be, an inquest does not look into the whole life of the deceased but focuses on the circumstances surrounding and leading up to the death.”
16 Year Old Girl Hero After Saving Brothers’ Lives from Fire, Inquest Shows
In a story that involves drug addiction, alcoholism, murder, and a tragic fire, emerges one girl who, although only 16 years old, has proven that heroes do exist, and that circumstances do not determine character. All of this came to light at an inquest on Monday, which shed more light on the horrific details of a fire that broke out in a housing complex in 2007, and a girl’s resolve not to lose her entire family.
On December 22, 2007, at the Anderson-Simpson-Whittaker household, when a 3 year old boy by the name of Jahziah Whittaker, and his five-year-old brother were playing with some school papers in their living room. Their mother, Diane Anderson, an alcoholic and drug abuser since her fiancé’s murder in 2005, was fast asleep in a nearby chair. The boys found her lighter and lit the papers on fire, which then quickly escalated into a disaster situation.
After a few minutes, the 5 year old boy saw that the fire was getting out of control and he went to wake up his sister, Ieisha Simpson. When testifying in court about the fire, Ieisha recalled how she was covered in sweat when she woke up and that it was very hot in her room. She quickly went downstairs with her brother and started screaming her mother’s name. When she got no response, Ieisha ran outside of the housing complex and started screaming for help. It wasn’t long before a neighbour heard her and came to help. Together, the two went back into the burning home to rescue the boys and Ieisha’s sister, Tayjah Simpson. While Ieisha and the neighbour were able to save two of Ieisha’s brothers, Tayjah, Jahziah, and Diane Anderson were all killed in the blaze.
Sadly, that wasn’t the end of the story. Now, four years later, everything has been rehashed and family members have had to live through it all over again as an inquest is ongoing into several issues, and with several organizations. One part of the inquest is investigating the TCHC, an organization that’s had its share of investigations lately. According to Ieisha Simpson, the fire alarm in their home was broken and always being set off for no apparent reason. When Diane Anderson complained repeatedly to TCHC about it, nothing was ever done, then leaving Anderson to remove the batteries to stop the incessant sound.
The Children’s Aid Society is also under inquest as it’s felt that more help and support should have been offered to Diane Anderson, who suffered from depression, drug abuse, and alcoholism, and more importantly, that help should have been offered to her children. Victims Services Toronto and the Toronto School Board are all also organizations that are now under investigation in regards to the fire and the family’s situation. What will be done about it is anyone’s guess at this point. As coroner David Evans, who presided over the hearing, stated “As upsetting or difficult or systematically challenging as a person’s life may be, an inquest does not look into the whole life of the deceased but focuses on the circumstances surrounding and leading up to the death.”