THUNDER BAY – In four hours, a GoFundMe page has raised over $10,000 for a young man who lifeguards rescued from Widnall Pool on Saturday.
Kevin, a 13-year-old from Thunder Bay, and his mom Jennie Peloquin were airlifted to a hospital in London, Ont. for specialized care after someone allegedly pushed the boy into the water.
The pool was closed on Sunday due to what the city called a medical emergency.
Police attended and released the site as part of the emergency response. Police confirmed on Sunday they are investigating to determine exactly what happened.
Via email, Jennie said Kevin is responding to the voices of people who speak to him. She shared a photo of him in a hospital bed with a ventilator and a second photo from before all of this happened.
Ashley Smith grew up in Kenora with Jennie and she started the GoFundMe page after hearing about the incident from Jennie.
Smith said the family is obviously going through a lot right now.
“Jennie shared an update that Kevin is still on a ventilator. He's responding to the medication and treatment,” Smith said.
Smith said it’s unclear how long the mother and son will have to remain in London for treatment. She’s hopeful people will donate to help Jennie and Kevin during this difficult time.
“Jennie is a hardworking and dedicated mom,” she said.
“This will help offset the financial burden she will face. Her friends, family and former classmates are definitely in her corner to support her and Kevin through this.”
Visit the GoFundMe page here. All donations will go directly to the family.
