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“Without a second thought, they’d do the same for us.”
After a fire broke out on the 100 block of Udall Road in West Islip on Saturday, Nov. 4, the lives of the Dilegame-Kreamer family were forever changed.
Earlier Report - Double-Fatal House Fire: Brothers ID'd As Victims In West Islip
Though parents Joseph Dilegame and Toni Kreamer, aged 54 and 53, respectively, were able to make it out of the blaze, their two sons, 24-year-old Matthew Kreamer and 16-year-old Kyle Dilegame, were trapped.
The two brothers were found dead inside the home, according to Suffolk County Police.
“The West Islip community lost two young men…to an unspeakable tragedy,” wrote the West Islip Varsity Football team, where Kyle was a player, in a Facebook post.
“If you're a parent, you are struggling how to comprehend what Kyle and Matthew's parents are experiencing…we are reminded or given a lesson to never take a single moment or day for granted.”
On social media, the brothers were remembered by friend Tammy Johnson.
According to Johnson, Matthew was “the sweetest, kindest, funniest, most brilliant mind.”
“I will always love you and I will miss you terribly every day with my whole heart until it gives out,” she wrote.
She also shared a memory of Kyle, who once ran out of the house and into the driveway just to give Matthew the last chicken nugget, because he knew how much his brother loved them.
“Kyle, you sweet thing,” she said.
In the wake of the unimaginable loss, the West Islip and Long Island community at large have gathered to support Joseph and Toni in their time of need.
“Those fortunate enough to know the boys and their family, know that they are some of the greatest individuals you’ll ever meet,” wrote Courtney Tasso, who set up a GoFundMe to cover the cost of funeral expenses, medical bills for the parents, and more.
In just two days, the community more than doubled the fundraiser’s goal of $50,000, gathering over $135,000 for the family.
“The display of community, love, and support has been nothing short of overwhelming,” Tasso wrote of the more than two thousand donations.
She wrote that while there are no major updates, both parents are expected to make a full recovery and will surely feel “sheer gratitude” towards not only the donations gathered so far but the support that is surely to come.
“As friends, family, and a community, more will be done to take care of this family…Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Donations can be made to the GoFundMe here.
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