Remembering the life of a young boy from Bridgeport who touched the hearts of his family and teachers. Five-year-old Kamdien Edwards was one of nine people killed in a car crash in Florida earlier this month.
“I love him, and I know I'm going to miss him dearly,” Paul Rayno, Kamdien’s father, said.
The pain of losing his son is still present weeks after a family vacation ended in tragedy.
“There’s nobody that can replace him. If I even have 10 more kids, he’s still going to be that special one. There’s nothing that can replace that boy,” Rayno said.
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Kamdien Edwards was one of nine people killed in a car crash in Palm Beach County, Florida on Aug. 5. Many of them were from Bridgeport or had ties to the city.
On Tuesday night, they were remembered during a candlelight vigil. Anntianette Edwards described her son as always being happy.
“He would not want to see us crying or breaking down like that. He would want us to just celebrate and be happy in his memory,” she said.
Memories Kamdien’s Pre-K teachers at Discovery Magnet School are keeping close to their hearts. They say he loved everything about school.
“Usually the kids pick one or two things. For Kamdien, it was the whole day,” Ashley DeLorenzo, Kamdien’s teacher, said.
They’ll also remember the joy he brought to others.
“I just remember his beautiful smile in the playground, just playing with the children. Just a happy boy,” Sandalee Sotomayor, Kamdien’s teacher, said.
The teachers say they will support Kamdien’s family in any way they can. Rayno said hearing them speak about him shows that his son will always be loved.
“Memories are always going to live in here, until the day I die,” he said.
The family said their focus will now shift to the funeral for Kamdien. That will be this Thursday in Bridgeport. Meanwhile, the NTSB said it’s still investigating the crash.
