The father of a 4-year-old girl killed by a falling TV Sunday remembers his daughter as someone who "loved everyone and everything."
Gianna Hadjis, of the 600 block of Sullivan Lane Drive in University Park, was pronounced dead just before 3 p.m. Sunday after a box-style TV fell on her.
"It was accidental. My guess is that she was hanging on the edge of the table and her weight pulled the tv on top of her," said the girl's father, Adam Hadjis, who was in Iowa when the accident happened.
An autopsy was scheduled for later Monday, though the preliminary cause of death was believed to be head trauma. The Department of Child and Family Services did not comment on the incident Sunday night. University Park police also have not replied to calls for comment.
Gianna is the third young child to die this way since October.
Hadjis says it should be a wakeup call for parents.
"As silly as it may seem, secure your furniture and your televisions and anything you have hanging on the wall that's heavy, because it can fall down at anytime and kill a child," he said.
Gianna's heart was donated after she died.
"I hope that that little boy or girl or whoever it is cherishes that piece of my daughter and live a full, happy and successful life," Hadjis said.
On Oct. 30, 6-year-old Karl Clermont died when a TV fell on his head at his home in the 1700 block of Portsmith Lane in Arlington Heights. His death was ruled an accident.
About two weeks later, 3-year-old Shaniya Singleton was playing with other children when a tube TV set fell on her in the family home on the 7800 block of South Union Avenue in Hamilton Park.
Her death was also ruled an accident.
