Owen.Photo: GoFundMe
A New York community is mourning the death of a 3-year-old boy who tragically died after being found unresponsive in a pool over the weekend.
Family members told the outlet that the boy was at his aunt’s house for Easter when he slipped out while dinner was being prepared.
“On Sunday, April 17, at approximately 7:08pm, Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a call for a missing three-year-old child from Oakhurst Street in Pleasantdale,” the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office wrote in astatement.
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AGoFundMehas since been created to help Owen’s family — and it’s already raised over $12,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.
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“I can’t explain to you the plethora of emotions we all felt in such a short amount of time,” she adds. “You go from frantically searching and afraid of what you might find or even worse, that he won’t be found, to elated to hear he was found and then immediately heartbroken after hearing where he was found and his condition.”
Despite the fact that many members of the community, including Parker, never had a chance to meet Owen, “we all wanted to help.”
After getting in contact with his family, Parker asked for permission to set up the GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses.
“No grieving family should have to bear the weight of unexpected costs like these,” she says. “The community and surrounding communities have been more than generous and I am so grateful for that.”
Parker says the family plans to have a candlelit vigil for Owen soon.
Those interested in donating to the GoFundMe can do sohere.
source: people.com
