How to help family who lost toddler to Brooklyn Center fire

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On the morning of Jan.16 when Kenya Davis came home from work, she tells fox 9 she found herself pleading with fire fighters to save her 2-year-old son Keoni Holt.

"I wish they would've just listened and went in there and got my baby," she said.

"I had to keep pressing to them, go get my baby, my baby's in there he's in Apartment 260, in the back bedroom, and they just seemed like they wasn't hearing me."

While Davis was at work, her older son, 23 year-old Keontre, was inside watching baby Keoni. Before the fire broke out. Keontre stepped on the balcony for a smoke. He told Davis he was on the balcony for 7 minutes, but when he tried to go back inside, he said the fire and the smoke started shooting toward his face.

Unable enter the apartment safely, Keontre leaped to safety.

Over the phone, Brooklyn Center Fire Chief Lee Gatlin told crews they did the best they could to rescue Keoni. Crews faced a lot of smoke and a lot of fire, and they say and had a hard time going back in. Chief Gatlin added the volunteer firefighters themselves were hurt, and he even had to call a critical stress meeting the next day.

Along with the insurmountable pain of losing Keoni and their home, Davis and her children are also dealing with the loss of their three Yorkies, Roxie, Teddy and TJ.

Saturday afternoon, loved ones gathered for a vigil to extend an uplifting word and say a prayer for those who just lost everything.

"My baby just turned 2 on November 30 and he didn't even have a chance, he didn't even have a chance at all. I'm just going to miss his big eyes, and his big smile. My handsome baby boy."