Matthew Badger, 47, split amicably with his wife in 2008. They have three daughters Lily,9, twins Sarah and Grace, 7. Matthew lives in New York while his daughters stay with his ex-wife Madonna Badger, 48, her parents and Michael Borcina, her boyfriend, in Stamford, Connecticut.
The house is under renovation and Borcina, a contractor, left the bag of fireplace ash which caught fire on December 25, 2011. All three daughters perished including the parents of Madonna.
The girls have spent several pre-Christmas days with him in his apartment in New York city and he took them for some Christmas shopping. he dropped them off at Madonna’s house on December 23. According to Matthew, they were very happy and he kissed them goodbye. On Christmas day, he received a phone call and police knocked on his door.
On December 25, Christmas day, his three daughters died.
Matthew said it ended his life too. “I am a father, I am a father, I messed-up. I wasn’t there to save them”.
Mathew Badger is keeping their memories alive by raising funds to help school’s art programs. He says working on this project keeps him inspired and feels closest to his daughters.
lilysarahgracefund.org
Nicole Weisensee Egan
Photos by Len Irish
People
