A brother and sister who were trapped in a burning shed have been in a coma since the tragedy and do not know their younger siblings are dead.
Mavis and Isaac McGregor, age six and five, were raced to Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital on Sunday after a couch in the shed they were playing in caught fire.
Their mother Jasmine Beck, 26, ran into the yard of her property in Corio, south-west of Melbourne, and pulled all four of her children out of the flames.
Sadly, three-year-old Saige and 18-month-old Ashlynn died on the scene.
The older siblings were placed in intensive care with burns covering most of their bodies and life-threatening injuries.
They have been in a medically-induced coma since Sunday and have no idea they will never see their younger brother and sister again.
Mavis and Isaac (left and right) are in intensive care with critical burns. Ashlynn and Saige (front, as a baby, and second right) died in the fire
Pictured: The shed where two kids, Ashlynn and Saige, died on Sunday morning. Two were critically injured
If they survive, Mavis and Isaac will need multiple surgeries in the near future and will need medical treatment for the rest of their lives, according to an update on the family’s GoFundMe campaign.
On Monday night, Mr McGregor wrote a post on Facebook and said the only thing keeping him together was ‘holding onto and fighting for’ his two surviving children.
‘Worst 36 hours of my life, absolutely broken hearted having to let go of my two youngest babies,’ he wrote.
‘Only thing keeping me together is holding onto and fighting for my other two, come on Mavis and Isaac you are both so strong and way to stubborn to give in so keep fighting the winning fight.’
‘RIP Wiggles and Saigey, I love you two so much.’
Jasmine Beck is pictured with her four kids: Mavis, six, Isaac, five, Saige, three, and Ashlynn, 18 months
Kane McGregor (pictured) is ‘absolutely broken hearted’ after his two youngest children – Saige, three, and Ashlynn, 18 months – died when a couch caught fire in a garden shed
Victorian police said on Monday afternoon that detectives from the Arson and Explosives Squad are investigating the incident. They are continuing to treat it as non-suspicious.
Earlier on Monday, Anthony told The Age newspaper that Ms Beck is distraught. ‘She’s destroyed,’ he said.
‘She’s not handling herself. She’s trying to be the best mum she can be right now and be there to support her children who are suffering.’
The children’s aunt, Sarah Guardiano, said the mum-of-four ‘did her very best’ to get the children out of the shed as quickly as possible.
‘Pulling all those babies out, like you can imagine, you know, having to call the fire brigade having to put out a fire having to pull out your children,’ she said.
‘She did the best she could to get them all out as quickly as she did.’
Police Inspector Emma Bartel said on Sunday that neighbours tried to rescue the children before emergency services arrived.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Pictured: Neighbours left tributes and toys for the surviving children out the front of the house