'I had to leave my baby': Family gathers to remember child who died in Englewood fire
CHICAGO - Destiny Davis, 5, is described as an angel on Earth, full of personality, and a lover of rainbows.
She wanted to be a nurse and enjoyed playing guitar.
Her mother, Katheryn Ivory, said, "When she’d burp, she’d say 'excuse me.' She was so polite."
Dozens of loved ones gathered in front of the family's now boarded-up apartment building to hug and pray on Saturday.
Flames engulfed the second-floor unit the day after Christmas around 7:15 a.m. in the 500 block of West Marquette.
Destiny’s mother ran inside the bedroom where the fire originated.
"I just knew I couldn’t get her. I had to leave my baby," Ivory said.
Destiny’s father ran in as well and was eventually burned and bruised.
RELATED: Girl, 5, dies in bunkbed, dad hurt during Englewood blaze
Destiny was found dead in her bunk bed, according to fire officials.
The cause of the fire appeared to be careless use of smoking materials and that a child may have been playing with a lighter, officials say.
As the family is now displaced, residents and community leaders have been donating clothes, pampers and money.
Activists say more conversations with children about safety need to be had.
"We get a lot happening around Christmastime including chords, wires and everything, so we need to come together and let’s talk about this situation," said Chef Michael Airhart, of Taste for the Homeless.
There’s now a GoFundMe account set up to assist the family with funeral arrangements. You can learn more here.