At 19 years old, Bronx Community College student Lucas Silverio had a lifetime of giving ahead of him. If a subway panhandler asked for money, he would give it. If a stranger wanted to talk to him, he would stop and listen. Silverio was studying to become a physical therapist.
Instead, he died in June from injuries sustained from a late-night apartment fire in the Bronx, in which he braved the choking smoke and fumes to rescue a 3-year-old girl who got separated from her mother. They both were able to leave the burning building, but he and the girl died days later.
URGE TO HELP
“He had a deep and sincere urge to help anyone he could. He gave off that positive and compassionate vibe every time he walked into the classroom,” said David Puglia, an assistant professor of English who had taught Silverio. “When I read about Lucas’s heroics, I was shocked but not surprised. His actions were perfectly in line with his character and the way he chose to live life.”
At the June PSC delegate assembly, an announcement was made about Silverio’s heroics and tragic death. Union members at the delegate assembly donated nearly $1,000.
