5 Christians who died trying to save the lives of others
New Jersey mom died trying to save daughter from fire
A candlelight vigil took place Tuesday for Jacqueline Montanaro, a former border patrol agent who died trying to save her daughter from a house fire.
The family's home caught fire on Friday morning. Montanaro had escaped the home, but when she realized that her 6-year-old daughter, Madelyn, had not, she raced back into the house to rescue her. Both mother and child later died from injuries they sustained from the fire.
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Montanaro's husband, William Montanaro, and the couple's 8-year-old daughter survived the fire.
"I am heartbroken. I have lost the love of my life — my beautiful wife, Jackie — and my sweet, loving, spunky little girl, Madelyn," William Montanaro wrote in a note posted to the funeral page.
"Jackie was a hero. When I rushed back into the house for Madelyn, I became enveloped in a massive amount of thick, hot black smoke. Without hesitation, Jackie then charged in with a mother's love and the courage of a police officer fueling her attempt to save our daughter. I am now focused on getting my daughter the support and help she's going to need so that we can rebuild our lives together."
A GoFundMe campaign to support the family has raised over $300,000. A mass of Christian burial is planned for Friday at St. Benedict's Church in Holmdel.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follower her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
