Memorial fund created for Richmond Hill fi re victims
Holy child principal created fund for Silvia Umana and her daughter Guadelupe Perez
BY JACOB KAYE
A memorial fund has
been created in the name
of Silvia Umana and
her youngest daughter,
Guadelupe Perez, who both
perished in a devastating
fire in Richmond Hill on
Sunday, July 21.
Perez was 7 years old and
a second-grade student at
Holy Child Jesus Catholic
Academy. Umana was 51.
The memorial fund,
created by Patricia Winters,
the principal of Holy Child
Jesus Catholic Academy in
Richmond Hill, describes
Perez as “vibrant” and
“happy.”
“She was always
smiling and was a friend
to all,” Winters said on the
GoFundMe page. “Both will
be greatly missed.”
The fundraiser, with the
goal of raising $75,000 for the
funerals of both Umana and
Perez, reached $12,000 a little
less than 24 hours after it
was created.
The fire started at 9:45
a.m. on July 21 at the twostory
home on 117th Street
just north of Atlantic
Avenue, according to the
Fire Department.
Two of Umana’s other
children, Gilbert and
Gabriel, were affected by
the blaze. Gilbert is battling
severe burns throughout
his body, according to the
memorial page. Gabriel, a
former student at Holy Child
Jesus Catholic Academy, is in
stable condition.
According to the Fire
Department, the twoalarm
fire was caused by
a damaged air conditioner
cord and was “accidental
and electrical in nature.” A
working fire alarm was not
present in the apartment,
according to the Fire
Department.
More than 100 firefighters
responded to the 911 call
and brought the blaze under
control around 10:50 a.m.
Photo via GoFundMe/Guadalupe Perez/Silvia Umana Memorial Fund
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