A phenomenal sum raised for a 2-year-old boy who lost both his parents in Monday’s Highland Park shooting on July 4 during a parade for the American National Day.
Touched by the little boy’s plight, one of the people who assisted him launched a fundraiser, with the agreement of the child’s family.
“I set up this fundraiser to support him and the people who will be tasked with raising, caring for, and supporting Aiden,” Irina Colon wrote on GoFundMe.
The least we can say is that Internet users have been sensitive to this call. By Wednesday morning, the sum of $1.8 million had already been raised.
One person donated $10,000 alone. Most Internet users who promised large sums of money preferred to remain anonymous.
A 2-year-old boy lost both his parents in Monday’s Highland Park shooting. A fundraiser launched to help him has already raised more than $1.8 million.
When the first shots rang out on Monday, July 4 during a parade for the American National Day, the spectators fled.
Behind them, they left on the sidewalk their personal belongings: children’s bicycles decorated in the colors of the American flag, strollers and other foldable chairs. Little Aiden McCarthy found himself alone.
His mother Irina and his father Kevin fell under the bullets of the shooter. In the general confusion, the 2-year-old had been separated from his parents.
Locals rescued him and sheltered him, before his maternal grandparents came to pick him up.
According to Irina’s father, Michael Levberg, Kevin died protecting his son. “Aiden was under his body when he was shot,” he told the Chicago Sun Times.
When Michael arrived at the police station to find his grandson, he said, “Mom and Dad are coming soon.” With his voice broken by emotion, Aiden’s grandfather paid tribute to his daughter and son-in-law: “They were crazy about their child.
They wanted to have a second one,” he said.
