4-year-old Glendale Hts. boy loses fight for life

A 4-year-old Glendale Heights boy died Thursday, two months after police said his father set his two sons on fire after luring them into a bathroom stall with toy cars.

Om Patel lost a hard-fought struggle to survive severe burns that covered the majority of his body, hospital officials confirmed.

He died at Loyola University Medical Center's burn unit, where his brother, Vishv, 7, also is being treated. Vishv is listed in critical, but stable condition.

Their mother, Nishaben Patel, has kept a constant vigil at the Maywood hospital since the Nov. 18 tragedy.

"The family wants to thank everyone for keeping the boys in their hearts and prayers," said Perry Drake, a hospital spokesman.

Initially, doctors didn't expect Om and Vishv to survive the first night. Their conditions steadily improved in the following weeks, while doctors kept them in drug-induced comas and tried to ward off infections. But Om Patel, who never regained consciousness, developed a temperature and took a turn for the worse late last week.

The boys' father, Kaushik Patel, 34, also is hospitalized at Loyola, with less severe burns. He has not been charged, but police are keeping constant watch.

DuPage County State's Attorney Joseph Birkett said he'll approve criminal charges once Patel is due to be released from the hospital, which may come next week. Those charges will include first-degree murder and aggravated arson.

Patel is suspected of dousing his sons in gasoline and setting them ablaze Nov. 18 in a shower stall inside their home at 1860 Harvest Lane, injuring himself in the process. Police found the new Matchbox toy cars nearby.

Their mother was not home. Afterward, police said, Kaushik Patel drove his injured sons about five miles to his brother's house in Hanover Park, where a relative called 911.

Authorities said Kaushik Patel admitted the botched murder-suicide attempt to his brother, Rajendra, who relayed the conversation to police. His wife, Kamini Patel, told the Daily Herald the family knew the couple had problems in their 1997 arranged marriage, but no one foresaw the violence.

A DuPage County judge extended a protective order -- to Feb. 5 -- barring the hospitalized father, who is able to walk, from having contact with his sons.

In the court document, prosecutor Joseph Ruggiero alleged Kaushik Patel is considered "suicidal" and set his children on fire in "a homicidal attempt."

Vishv is a first-grader at Pheasant Ridge Primary School in Glendale Heights and Om was a prekindergarten student. Weeks ago, the school planned a Thursday blood drive in the boys' honor. They learned of Om's death shortly after it began.

"He put in a good fight," Principal Diane Cantalupo said. "The staff members are devastated by this tragic loss. They are committed to making something positive come out of this tragedy."

Queen Bee Superintendent James White said school officials sent a letter home to parents Thursday notifying them of the death. White said social workers are working with students and the staff to ease their loss.

"It's tough," he said. "There's a lot of sadness. The teachers all knew him. It's just too bad."

Om and Vishv Patel Support Fund

• West Suburban Bank, 1657 Bloomingdale Road, Glendale Heights, IL 60139. Checks, payable to the fund, may be mailed to the bank or dropped off at Pheasant Ridge Primary School, 43 E. Stevenson, Drive, Glendale Heights. For more information, call (630) 260-6147.