By Sophia Chang
Once attached, she stuck close by her new friend, who waved his floppy ears at her and her two sisters.And slowly but surely, a smile stole across the 3-year-old's cherubic face, a moment of joy for the toddler who has seen far too much grief in her short life.Carolina and her sisters, Alexandra Sandoval, 4, and Naomi Siguencia, 7, lost their parents to a Dec. 15 fire that ripped through their Jackson Heights apartment building.Their mother, 36-year-old Flor Pineda, died while trying to alert her neighbors during the fire and their father, Alex Sandoval, succumbed to his burn injuries and smoke inhalation on Dec. 28 at New York Weill Cornell Medical Center.The three girls were all severely burned in the fire and Naomi was the most critically hurt with burns covering more than 50 percent of her body. But as they stabilized they were able to leave Cornell and were transferred to St. Mary's in February to recuperate.”They're getting rehabilitation and continued treatment,” said Dr. Edwin Simpser of St. Mary's. “We try to combine a little bit of the work of therapy with fun.”State Assemblyman Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights), who brought the Easter bunny and a magician to perform for the girls, said he is starting a fund for the family's medical and educational needs.”Overall the family is waiting for them to get better,” Peralta said. “I think everybody is optimistic.”The girls, in addition to receiving physical therapy and treatment for their injuries, are going through psychological sessions to deal with their losses. Their aunt Reyna Gomez, Pineda's sister who lived in the same apartment building as the family, has temporary custody of the children, though Alex Sandoval's sister, Dina Sandoval, has also requested custody.Peralta presented the girls with a $600 gift certificate to a toy store for a shopping spree.”I know you didn't have that great of a Christmas,” Peralta told the girls. “Now we're hoping to make up for Christmas in March.””This is the first time I had a good day,” Gomez said, dabbing at her eyes while holding Alexandra in her lap.The Easter bunny and the magic show, which were both donated by CARE PLUS health insurance company, delighted the girls, particularly when the magician conjured up a real bunny that the sisters petted. “They're happy here. They enjoy it,” said family member Rosario Urquia.And with good progress, the three sisters could leave St. Mary's by Labor Day.”They're working hard to get home and we're working hard to get them there,” Simpser said.Reach reporter Sophia Chang by e-mail at news@timesledger.com, or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
