Community tries to help fill void of a family lost

Lynn Doan

Monday, June 21, 2004 | 11:20 a.m.

An autographed Joe DiMaggio lithograph worth more than $10,000 is tacked to the back wall of Madison Martin's bedroom, behind his SpongeBob SquarePants bunk bed. Crisp designer clothes, price tags still attached, fill his closet. In two other closets toys and stuffed animals lie in foot-high piles.

Since New Year's Day, when Madison's entire family was killed in a house fire, he has received about $100,000 in cash donations, not including a college scholarship fund and rooms full of gifts, toys and clothes.

And just this week he received his latest donation, Focus Property Group Chief Executive John Ritter announced Monday that he and his employees would pay for the next three years of Madison's health insurance.

But no amount of generosity from strangers and friends can replace what the 8-year-old lost New Year's Eve. He was the sole survivor of a house fire started by a candle left burning that killed his father, mother, brother and good friend, who was spending the night. Only recently has he been able to shed tears, his grandparents say.

"I would sell my life to have them here again," Madison said.

Clutching a photo collage of his mother, father and 6-year-old brother, Madison said he misses his brother the most.

"My brother was very special to me," said Madison, pointing out a picture of Harrison in the collage, who appears to be winking and giving a thumbs up. "He loved dinosaurs."

As Madison dragged a second photo collage out of the living room closet, this one dedicated solely to his brother, Madison's grandmother, Victoria Carter, began to cry.

"Those boys were together 24-7. They were best friends," she choked. "It never gets any easier."

If anything, it's only getting harder for Madison, who is just beginning to realize his loss.

Carter and her husband, Garry, who are now Madison's guardians, took Madison to counseling after the fire, but his sessions were canceled because he wasn't showing any serious symptoms of grief. His grandmother believed Madison simply didn't understand what had happened.

Then, for the first time last week, Carter found Madison lying on his bed crying.

"It was the first time he's really cried since the whole thing happened," Madison's grandfather said . "Now that he's a little older, he's realizing that he'll never be with them again and is showing a lot of grief."

When asked what he remembers most about his parents, Madison shook his head with frustration and mumbled, "Oh gosh, I forget."

A few minutes passed before Madison stopped and smiled, revealing a set of blue braces, another donation from his grandparents' dentist.

"I could talk to my mom about anything without her laughing at me," he said. "And my dad? My dad, I couldn't say anything to without (him) cracking up laughing."

Madison's father, Charles Martin, 39, and his mother, Melissa Martin, 34, died in the fire along with their youngest son and a family friend, 10-year-old Andy Liu, who was sleeping over.

Madison said he misses their family trips the most, "thousands and thousands of trips" to Disney World, Universal Studios and Six Flags.

Garry Carter said the family had just come back from a trip to Universal Studios before the fire.

Despite Madison's gradual realization of his family's deaths, Victoria Carter said he remains the rock of their household.

She said he has maintained good grades in school, has made many friends, and even led a balloon release at his school in remembrance of his family earlier this year.

And as both of his grandparents began to cry over the photo collages leaning against the living room wall, Madison smiled and calmly described each picture. Afterwards, he ran from room to room, bringing out more pictures and other items that help him to remember those he lost.

"I'd show you my computer, but there's a sad song that plays and it makes Papa (his grandfather) cry," said Madison, looking to Carter for approval. "You have to promise you won't cry, Papa. You promise?"

"Go ahead," said Carter, turning his back to the computer monitor.

As Madison's computer booted up, Luther Vandross' "Dancing with My Father" began to play from the speakers. Madison bobbed his head with the music, while Carter shook his head.

"That song just makes me so sad," Carter said. "But it makes him happy."