close

Community gathers to pray for 2-year-old

2 min read
1 / 6

Jessica Cragg stands with her daughter, Adalynn, at the prayer vigil at 112 Linda Court in Canonsburg Tuesday night.

2 / 6

Matt and wife Jess Horzempa, neighbors of the Gillums, lead the prayer vigil singing “Our God” Tuesday night on Linda Court in Canonsburg.

3 / 6

A crowd of neighbors and supporters gathers on Linda Court for a vigil in honor of Dean Gillum, 2, who nearly drowned Thursday night in his family’s backyard pool.

4 / 6

The mood was solemn on Linda Court, Canonsburg, Tuesday night as neighbors and supporters gather for a candlelight vigil in honor of Dean Gillum, 2, who nearly drowned Thursday in his family’s backyard pool.

5 / 6

A crowd of neighbors and supporters gathers on Linda Court for a vigil in honor of Dean Gillum, 2, who nearly drowned Thursday in his family’s backyard pool.

6 / 6

Dean Gillum

No parking was allowed in the streets, so neighbors in the cul-de-sac communities of Lucia Drive and Linda Court of the Apple Hill subdivision in Canonsburg opened their driveways.

Neighbor Greg Oliver guided in nearly a hundred supporters – many of them children – who came to pray Tuesday evening for the family of Dean Gillum after the 2-year-old suffered injuries from a near-drowning Thursday. He was declared brain dead by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner at 1:05 p.m. Sunday but remained on a ventilator at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, where his mother, Laura Gillum, stayed Tuesday evening.

“We’re not ready to let him go. We’ve told doctors we’re waiting on a sign that he’s ready to go,” she said by phone.

Paul Gillum, the boy’s father, attended the solemn vigil and thanked neighbors, friends and supporters who joined in prayer, held lit candles and sang to honor the child and to hope for a miracle.

Neighbors Jess and Matt Horzempa took up their guitar and keyboard to lead the crowd in singing “Our God,” before Father John Batykefer took the microphone to inspire various call-and-response prayers.

“We’ve asked God for a miracle, but we’ve already seen one here tonight. You are all here because of Dean. You have shown your love and support for this family,” he said.

Batykefer went on to explain he was the priest who baptized Dean at St. Patrick’s Church in Canonsburg two years ago.

“God has never let him go. Dean was in His arms since then, and He will always be with him,” he said.

Nearly $6,000 was raised at http://www.gofundme.com/burrito, a website set up to raise money for the boy’s medical funds. “Burrito” is the nickname the child was given when his parents observed him while he was snuggled in a blanket.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today