Support Meredith & Her Sons After July 4th Attack in Jax Bch

On July 4th, Meredith took her boys on a bike ride in Jacksonville Beach to celebrate the holiday and attend the fireworks show. They had a great time until they were met with violence leaving the celebration. While waiting to cross at a well-lit and seemingly safe crosswalk with crossing guards, Meredith and her oldest son (a minor) were threatened then violently attacked by a group of people following an unprovoked altercation. Three men surrounded Meredith's teenage son and knocked him to the concrete ground. As Meredith attempted to push the attackers off her son to protect him, she was hit with great force and knocked to the ground. She was struck so hard she was literally knocked out of her shoes and her contacts fell out of her eyes. There were police officers and bystanders present, but no one intervened or offered any help.

Meredith suffered a head injury, has throat pain and swelling, back pain, three loose teeth, a black eye and a swollen lip. She is dealing with severe headaches and grogginess, needs dental work and more medical testing to ensure there are not extensive injuries. Meredith's oldest son suffered two black eyes and a broken nose, which will heal without surgery. Thankfully, Meredith's younger son was only threatened and not physically harmed. All three have endured severe emotional distress and lasting trauma from the attacks.

Meredith is a single mother working hard to provide for her children. They are new residents to the Jacksonville Beach area, and hoped to find a peaceful place to live near the beach they love so much. The family does not have medial insurance, and they are struggling to get the medical treatment they need.

Compounding their physical injuries, Meredith and her children were not protected by the police at the scene, and have not been treated with respect or dignity following the brutal attacks. The attackers have not been held accountable, and the police have not been cooperative at all in helping Meredith obtain video recordings or press charges.

Below is a video of Meredith speaking at a Police Chief meeting on July 10th, six days following the event:

If you are able, please consider offering Meredith some financial support, kind words and prayers as she and her boys begin to heal from this terrible event. No mother should ever feel helpless in protecting her children or be unsupported in bringing their attackers to justice.