BINGHAMTON, NY (607NewsNow) — On March 17th, 2011, 17-year-old Jeffrey T. Aissa lost his life in a deliberately set house fire at his home in the East Side of Binghamton.
Jeffrey’s favorite park was Fairview Park, just around the corner from where he and his family lived. Maureen Aissa, Jeffrey’s mother, says Jeffrey was always at the park with his siblings. Being autistic, the park was a place where he felt comfortable and free.
“Fairview Park is around the corner from where we lived, and Jeffrey was there non-stop. It really was his park, we all have such wonderful memories of him there. We’ve been trying since 2012 to rename the park and haven’t been successful yet. Binghamton is a unique place because there is a tendency to name parks after children who have passed, so we would like the same honor for Jeffrey,” Aissa said.
Photo of Jeffrey Aissa, courtesy of his mother Maureen Aissa.
Recently, the petition to rename the park has gained traction. Jeffrey’s story was also featured on the podcast ‘Anatomy of Murder‘, following his story from the fire to the sentencing of the man who intentionally set the fire.
“The petition has gotten more attention lately, and we’ve had help bringing awareness to it through Advocates for Autism, so anyone anywhere can sign it. Donations are not required, we just want people to sign and for those who are local, to contact Binghamton’s mayor and city council members to help us push everything along.”
Those who want to help honor Jeffrey can sign the petition here.
