A family member held Pa Cheng Vang’s smiling daughter at a news conference Saturday updating the community on the fate of his wife and surviving son after a January fire that killed four of their children.

The release of the 2-year-old girl from the hospital is a bright spot in Pa Cheng Vang’s life, he said, as his wife and 6-year-old son, who remain hospitalized, have a long road to recovery.

“There’s no words to express when I saw my daughter start getting better and when the nurse said she’s going to be discharged. It made me happy. It brought me some smiles,” he said after the news conference held at the Vang Council in St. Paul.

The joy a parent feels seeing a child take a first step or say a first word can’t even compare to the emotion he felt when his daughter was discharged from the hospital, Pa Cheng Vang said.

His daughter has been home for two weeks now, he said, and while she plays and “seems normal,” the doctor told him to keep an eye on her in case she has further difficulties.

Family spokesperson Susan Vang said Pa Cheng Vang’s 6-year-old son is awake, out of the ICU and understands what is said to him, but is struggling with his ability to move. Pa Cheng Vang said his son can speak a few words and he is working with him to learn more.

In an update on the family’s GoFundMe page, Pa Cheng Vang said he cried when his son opened his eyes and said a few words, but that he’s still worried because the doctors said the part of his son’s brain that controls movement was severely damaged.

Pa Cheng Vang’s wife, Ker Lor, has briefly opened her eyes, but remains unconscious, Susan Vang said. “She faces a lengthy battle ahead,” she said.

As he has in the past, Pa Cheng Vang once again pleaded for the community to teach family members to use fire extinguishers in the hopes that they can prevent a tragedy like the one his family experienced.

“Teach your kids how to use them,” he said. “If you gave me one, I wouldn’t know how to use it. So that’s something that can help.”

Pa Cheng Vang also thanked the community for their support and prayers, saying they have helped his family.

The early morning Jan. 3 fire on Arkwright Street, near Maryland Avenue, was likely caused by an unattended candle, the St. Paul Fire Department said previously. Firefighters pulled Ker Lor and her six children out of their home. Four children — an 18-month-old boy, a 4-year-old boy and twin 5-year-old girls — died soon after at the hospital.

Each child will have his or her own funeral. The first funeral will be held Feb. 17-19 at Legacy Funeral Home; the second will be held March 16-18 at St. Paul Funeral Home, at 199 Plato Blvd. in St. Paul; the third from March 23-25 at St. Paul Funeral Home; and the fourth from March 30 to April 1 at St. Paul Funeral Home.

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