Jordan Mitchell’s hospitalization last Tuesday was his greatest nightmare, leaving his brother and father without a caregiver for the day.
Anthony, Jordan’s father, had his leg amputated a year ago and now uses a wheelchair to get about. According to Mitchell, his father was a humorous but unyielding individual. Even though his brother Justin had cerebral palsy, he was happy all of his life.
“Best way to describe my dad was funny, stubborn, but he loved us immensely,” Mitchell stated. “He would have gone to any lengths to help us… Justin, my brother, is the happiest boy you have ever met.
According to Jordan, his brother enjoyed reading and grilling, particularly Little Critter, The Berenstain Bears, and Arthur. Jordan claims that he never left his family unattended. However, he was ill in the hospital last Tuesday when the fire broke out, so Justin and their father were left alone as the Eaton Fire approached.
“My worst nightmare [was] I wouldn’t be around them and something happened or [they got] hurt,” Jordan stated.
Jordan reported that shortly after the fire began, his father contacted 911 to request assistance with evacuation. However, with dozens of evacuations occurring around the Altadena mountain neighborhood, services were overextended. Homes were destroyed by the firestorm miles from its origin.
“His last words were help us,” Jordan remarked. “He was trying to get him and my brother out of here.”
Cassandra Mitchell, Jordan’s aunt who lived a few miles away, reported that Anthony called her on Wednesday at 6:02 a.m. He informed her that he was waiting for assistance to come. Anthony and his son were inside their burning house twenty minutes later.
“Dying in a fire is not a pretty way to go and no one deserves that especially not my dad and brother,” Jordan stated.
The Eaton Fire is said to have claimed the lives of over a dozen individuals, including them. A barrier along Lake Avenue beneath the evacuation zone is lined with crosses that commemorate some of those fatalities. Jordan claimed he was upset that nobody was able to save the persons he had promised to keep safe.
“Out of my immediate family, I’m the only one left,” Jordan stated.
Jordan claimed that while his aunt Cassandra has taken him in, the other two members of his family lost their houses in the fire. To reconstruct his house, they are using a crowdsourcing initiative to raise funds. He intends to pay tribute to his brother Justin by adorning the house with the children’s books that he so cherished.