SchnookoLoly

Yep, as HG said, it's fine to send it around. I've sent it to a few as well, and have posted it on FB.

Shirtback

The news articles I've seen didn't name names. I haven't searched for updates.
Girl hit by school bus in Oakville in serious condition | News | Toronto Sun

SchnookoLoly

The link ot the news story on the GFM page is broken, just looks like it didn't paste properly. The text on the GFM page is from Doug's post on Facebook, so I' guessing it was just a formatting thing.

This is the original news article on CBC: Girl in serious condition after being hit by school bus in Oakville - Toronto - CBC News

Shirtback

If anyone would like to pm me the Facebook link(s), I can share it(them).

I'm not FB "friends" with anyone here, & wouldn't know how to go find anyone there.

ETA: sorted

Tangram

That's fine thanks.

Atlantic Xpat

I've just read Oak's blurb on the GFM page. It is harrowing reading, yet level headed (which I'd expect from my experience of his posts here) and searingly honest. I cannot imagine what Rosie & her family are going through...actually I can a bit, it's all to easy to imagine isn't it...but its clear to me that they are damn lucky to have each other to get through this. They are also lucky to have the support of friends, both real and virtual here on BE. I think I'm right in saying that Oak and family are from the UK without any Canadian relatives nearby. Going through such a trauma without the support network that many of us have from wherever home was can be incredibly daunting I think. As a family we've gone through our share of drama over the past decade & we have the support of Mrs AX's family & network of old friends yet life was still difficult at times.

So thanks to Schooks & HGerchikov for their thought and efforts in sharing & coordinating with the BE collective. And well done to those names I recognise on the GFM page. I'm blown away by the kindness of strangers, nodding (drinking) acquaintances and virtual friends. It does, make this place seem extra worthwhile today. I will be heading home via the local RBS branch to do my bit tonight.

AX

Shard

Yes, absolutely. So saddened by this.

HGerchikov

The local community response, lead by the family's neighbours has been amazing. They set up a webpage where they posted what practical help the family needed and people signed up to provide it. Within hours of setting up the page there was someone assigned to provide meals for the entire family every day from the middle of November until the end of the year. All different people, and based on their names and meals they were providing from all different cultures. Neighbours have stepped up to coordinate the delivery of the food, baby sit the other children and walk the dog.

SchnookoLoly

I thought Doug did an amazing job writing up what happened. Completely reflective of his attitude on this board as well.

As I have said, the support that the family has received from this board and from his friends and local community have been just amazing. As I post this, the fund is at $8,840 from 102 people and it hasn't even been 24 hours.

Doug's neighbours set up a meal service website for the local community to help out with cooking meals. The site was set up shortly after Rosie's accident, and all meal slots from the beginning of November until the end of December were filled nearly immediately. In an email to me, Doug actually joked that the family has never eaten as varied and nutritious a diet as they have since the accident. The family recently extended the meal dates out into January, and all the slots filled up within an hour or so. HG and I haven't been able to contribute meals yet as we just haven't been fast enough! So even though they are from the UK, they have an absolutely huge and amazing network locally.

My inbox has been a steady stream of messages for Doug and his family, and everything I've received so far has been passed on in chunks.

Doug posted this on Facebook yesterday with a link to the GFM page:
We have been completely overwhelmed by everyone’s kind thoughts and words following Rosie’s horrific accident last month. Thank you to everyone for the amazing kindness, sympathy, help and advice! Several of our non-local friends have asked if there’s a way they can contribute financially, since it’s proven difficult to access the Rosie Sparkles account at the Royal Bank of Canada from outside the country. It’s impossible to say at this stage what Rosie’s and our needs will be in the long term, especially since she’s still in the intensive care unit a month after being run over: what we do know is that Rosie will be determined to live as full and active a life as possible and will battle to overcome the challenges of being in a wheelchair. But for those who feel they would like to do so, here’s a link to a GoFundMe page that has been set up to raise funds for Rosie’s lifetime of medical and support needs.

Souvy

And growing.

I would have been less anonymous, if I'd paid more attention to the options, but whatever.

Zoe Bell

I'm so glad this fund was set up. I can't even begin to think of what to say to someone in that position. Hopefully the money can be of some practical use

Souvy

Money can certainly be of practical use!

You doubled-up on me, you ratbag. Are you trying to make me feel guilty?

Keep it coming folks.

$9.4k last time I looked!

SchnookoLoly

Not the biggest BE donation, if it makes you feel any better. Or worse.

The outpouring is insane and lovely and heartwarming and just restores all my faith in humanity. Pretty much every time I refresh the page there's a new donation. Ticking closer to 10k now.

Zoe Bell

from both Ben and I , so a combined donation

Souvy

Humanity is always there. People sometimes just forget where.

Doug's wife must be really pretty. Rosie didn't get her looks from her dad!