In April 1986, a fire at the O’Donnell family home changed the course of five lives and left a community in shock. It has been forty years since that night, yet for Angela O’Donnell and her sons, the memory of those lost—Sharon, Joanne, Adrian, and baby Kevin—remains a constant presence.
This week, Angela and her son Philip join the podcast to talk about that night and the long road they have walked since.
They speak about the children who didn’t make it out, and the bravery of their babysitter, 25-year-old Noreen O’Donnell, who gave her life attempting to save them. Philip, who was just 13 at the time, reflects on escaping the blaze with his brothers Patrick and Joe, and how that moment shaped the men they became.
This is not just a look back at a tragedy; it is a conversation about the strength of a mother and how a family carries the weight of such a profound loss for forty years.
We are deeply grateful to Angela and Philip for their courage in sharing this story with us.
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