Nine days after Kyus Caines was struck by lightning, his family returned to the Brampton park where it happened to honour the little boy and say goodbye.
Shortly after 8pm Friday, the five-year-old died at the Hospital for Sick Children, with his parents at his bedside.
It’s a tragic end to what was just a simple trip to the playground.
On August 12, two adults and five children were knocked over by a rogue bolt of lightning. Kyus, his mother, Dulce, and a three-year-old boy were all rushed to hospital.
The last thing Dulce remembers is sitting on a bench in Centennial Park watching her children play.
It was a beautiful afternoon, but a friend who was with her at the time heard thunder and they decided to start walking home.
They only made it partway across the soccer field when they were hit by the lightning. Kyus was holding his metal scooter and took the force of the blast.
Doctors said Kyus' heart stopped for up to 40 minutes and his condition was extremely grave. But his parents still held out hope for their eldest child.
When he passed away, Oral and Dulce had the composure to think of other children in need, donating both of their son’s kidneys.
“We felt that he wasn’t going to make it regardless. But another family doesn’t have to go through this,” explained a tearful Dulce.
A private funeral will be held for Kyus on Wednesday in Brampton.