By April Drew

A PASSIONATE Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) supporter who was in Washington, D.C. with the group only last month died in a Bronx hospital on Saturday afternoon from injuries sustained in a fire in her Upper West Side apartment earlier in the week.

Joanne Doherty, 30, originally from Co. Leitrim and living in New York for five years, was at home on Tuesday morning, March 27, with a friend, Paul O’ Connor, at 42 West 65th street when a blaze broke out about 8 a.m. in the basement and abruptly spread up the five-story building.

Doherty, whose father Cyril is the superintendent of the building, was found huddled in the corner of the smoke filled apartment with O’Connor by firefighters. It looked like they had been trying to get out the window, according to assistant fire chief Michael Weinlein, who spoke to the New York Post on Tuesday.

He said the fire spread from the basement up because “the fire wound up in the pipe chasers in the wall and the space where the pipes go up,” he explained, saying that it all happened very quickly.

Firefighters were able to rescue both Doherty and O’Connor from the burning building alive by using their new thermal imaging camera that allows them to detect human bodies when a room is full of smoke. However, Doherty immediately went into cardiac arrest while being pulled out of the burning building and subsequently flat lined, but the paramedics were able to retrieve a heartbeat. O’Connor suffered minor injuries.

Doherty was instantly rushed to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx where she remained on a life support machine until Saturday, when it was deemed best to switch off the machine. Her family, including her mother and brother who flew from Ireland during the week, donated her organs.

Doherty, who worked in the Playwright bar and restaurant in Times Square, hadn’t been home to Leitrim in five years. She attended most ILIR meetings and rallies over the past year and half along with her father Cyril.

Kelly Fincham, ILIR executive director, expressed her condolences to the Doherty family. “We are very much shocked and upset at Joanne’s death and will always remember her dedication to the ILIR,” she said.

Doherty, who worked in the Playwright for five years, was described by her boss Frank Dwyer as “a very pleasant girl, a wonderful girl, who was well liked by all with a great character and always very witty.”

Doherty’s co-worker Daniel O’Connor told the Irish Voice that his “vibrant, friendly always on the go friend” would be missed dearly among her work colleagues and customers. “Everyone had a kind word to say about Joanne,” he said.

Friends of Doherty have left her messages on her personal website, Bebo, an Irish equivalent of Myspace.com, telling her that she will be sorely missed in their lives. Her friend Karen O’ Neill wrote, “Hi pet, I know I didn’t know you long but I will never forget you, you’re a darling, always smiling and friendly. It was an awful shock to us all that you were taken so suddenly. You will be missed so much.”

Ursula McCloskey wrote, “I’ve been trying to think what to write to you Joanne when I remembered what someone told me. They said God is very selfish; he wants the best back first and in your case that’s so true. You were so loved by everyone and are going to be greatly missed.

“You touched everyone’s heart that you came in contact with. I will always remember your lively spirit and every night we were out together having so much fun, like after the concert, dancing on the bar together! I know you’re at peace now watching over us.”

Mary O’Sullivan, who spent Doherty’s last night on earth with her at a Snow Patrol concert in Madison Square Garden wrote, “I hope you know how much you meant to everyone that knew you and how much we will miss you. I had one of the best nights of my life at Snow Patrol Monday night and I will treasure those memories forever.”

Doherty’s close friend Elaine Donlon told the Irish Voice on Tuesday that Joanne was an amazing person with a great personality. “She was very well known and very popular around town. There was a homeless man called Paul who Joanne used to look after, and when he took sick Joanne went to trace his family for him. That’s the type of wonderful person she was,” said Donlon.

Doherty will be waked in Hodders funeral home in Yonkers on Thursday, April 5 between 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. A funeral Mass will be held on Friday morning at 10.45 a.m. in St. Barnabas church in the Bronx. Her body will be flown back to Ireland later that afternoon.

Her friends will hold a benefit night in the Pig and Whistle bar in Times Square. A time and date are to be announced later this week.

Friends have requested no flowers, but asked people to donate to the American Foundation for AIDS Research at www.amfar.org.