‘She died a hero’: Co-workers honor Rock Hill mom who tried to save kids from fire

Co-workers, friends, and others in Rock Hill are holding memorials and raising money for the family of a mother of five sons who died in a fire while trying to save her kids and husband.

Yolanda Robinson Isom, 35, died Sept. 29, after she tried to go back into her burning home on Southland Drive. Her five children and husband were injured; Robinson Isom died at the scene after firefighters pulled her from the burning house.

Robinson Isom worked as a nursing assistant at Pruitt Health in Rock Hill, a rehabilitation center. Her co-workers held a memorial for her, and washed cars and sold baked goods to raise money for the family.

Other fundraisers at Pruitt are planned through the holidays.

“Yolanda was a wonderful person, caring and loved,” said Pruitt’s Stanley Dillard, chair of the committee for caring at Pruitt. “She was awesome in everything she did. We are going to do all we can for her family. She died a hero.”

Southland Park neighbors are holding a prayer service and candlelight vigil at 1 p.m. Saturday at the neighborhood park on Southland Drive. Donations will be accepted to help defray funeral costs.

“Our neighborhood is in mourning for this wonderful woman and mother and we all want to help and pray together,” said neighbor Belinda McClure. “There is a family that lost everything and we all have to help them.”

Robinson Isom was married to Latavuis Isom. They had been a couple for more than a decade and were just married less than a month ago, family said.

Their children, all boys, are Taquavious, 8; Delance, 7; Jacartier, 5; Omega, 4; and Dallas, 2.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, officials said.

Latavuis Isom, Yolanda’s husband and father of the five sons, remains at an Augusta, Ga. burn center along with the three younger sons, said Gwen Isom Singletary, Latavuis’ mother.

Two of the boys at the center are doing better and could be discharged next week, she said, but Latavuis and one of the sons are still undergoing surgeries.

“We are still praying for all to recover,” Isom Singletary said.

Yolanda Robinson Isom’s funeral is set for noon Tuesday at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church.

This story was originally published October 5, 2018 at 4:00 PM.