Hi everyone, we are asking for donations to support our grandson/nephew River, his mom Jess, and their family with expenses as they recover from a boating accident and 2nd-degree burns this past Sunday, April 19th. Fortunately, River and Jess will both make a full recovery. Below, you will find a message from River's nonna (grandmother), our matriarch, Therese:

"Yesterday, my 15-year-old grandson Maddex called me to tell me there had been an explosion on their boat, and his little brother River had been injured and was being airlifted to a children's center in Tampa from Venice, FL. While River, 5 years old, was airlifted away with 2nd-degree burns, Maddex stood holding the phone - the only phone that was saved from the boat when they all jumped into the water. The phone became the literal lifeline connecting our family and helping Maddex coordinate with police, the EMTs, and navigate care for his mom, Jess, who was also burned in the blast. Fortunately, my son-in-law Jon, an Army veteran, acted quickly to get his family off the boat and to safety on a friend’s nearby boat. Fortunately, first responders were there within minutes. Fortunately, even in the trauma of the event, my family is still very much alive. They are very aware of how lucky they are.

My daughter Jess was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment; she was released within hours to drive north to Tampa to get to River who was being treated for burns to his face, stomach, legs, and right hand. This beautiful little man with the sweetest spirit is going to recover fully. Fortunate.

This family – my family – at this point could really use some support as even little expenses like unexpected meals, days of missed work, etc accrue. The medical bills will be managed later as their heads and hearts are truly centered in pure gratitude as their minds reel in the what ifs that trauma takes a brain to."