Father: Brain of toddler damaged
A 2-year-old boy is being treated for serious injuries he suffered in a near-drowning accident in Canonsburg Thursday afternoon.
Police and emergency crews were called about 3:30 p.m. to a home on Linda Court when a son of Paul Gillum and Laura Rosenberger was found unresponsive in an above-ground pool in their backyard.
He was pulled from the pool by his mother, who attempted to revive him until emergency responders arrived. He was taken to Canonsburg Hospital and transferred to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.
A hospital spokeswoman said the child’s condition will not be released at this time. Canonsburg police Chief Alexander Coghill said they have not received an official update, but he noted Gillum posted an update on his Facebook page Friday.
“We were just told if he lives he will be severely disabled and dependent on others. He has minimal brain function and a lot of brain damage,” Gillum wrote.
In an earlier post, he said, “This is the worst day of my life. … Thank you all for your concern. If you believe in prayer, please don’t stop until my boy calls for his daddy.”
A GoFundMe was started Friday to help offset the boy’s medical expenses and raised $740 in its first two hours.
According to the GoFundMe site, Rosenberger, a former combat arms instructor in the U.S. Air Force, is a disabled veteran. She is also a graduate of Washington & Jefferson College.
Coghill said the boy was playing in the backyard and police do not yet know how he got into the pool. He said the family moved into the home within the past two weeks.
“It’s just a tragic accident,” Coghill said.
Canonsburg and state police are still investigating.
The GoFundMe website is http://www.gofundme.com/burrito.