Family coming to Niagara hit by tragedy
11-year-old boy dies in crash; fundraising response described as ‘incredible’
A family that was struck by a sudden tragedy while travelling across Canada with plans of making St. Catharines their home has been overwhelmed by the generosity of people from across the country.
“It’s incredible. The messages that I’ve been receiving from people are just amazing,” said Miranda Leblanc, who worked with her mother Mary Tumbach to launch an online fundraising campaign to help the family.
“People are just heartbroken. The amount messages of support that are coming through are just unbelievable right now.”
Leblanc, a family friend who lives in North Bay, said Carla Chambers Jeffreys, her husband Bob Chaylt Jeffreys, and their three children were driving their SUV from Vancouver to St. Catharines, with plans of moving to the city, where Carla had just graduated from Brock University with a master of arts in studies in comparative literatures and arts.
But their plans were abruptly changed as they were travelling through a small Alberta town.
Oyen, Alta., RCMP reported that at 3:48 p.m. last Wednesday, the family stopped their SUV behind a transport truck on Highway 9 due to construction in the area.
A second transport truck travelling behind them struck the rear of the SUV.
Their son Zachary, 11, was pronounced dead at the scene, while his younger siblings, Lily and Gabe, were both airlifted to Alberta Children’s Hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Carla, too, sustained lifethreatening injuries and was transported by air ambulance to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, while Bob, a freelance graphic designer who studied at Niagara College, was treated and released from hospital.
Leblanc said Bob’s mother Diana Chaylt had been awaiting the family’s arrival at her home in Larder Lake, Ont., when she learned about the collision.
“They were on a trip to St. Catharines to move there, but they were going to stop and visit grandma on the way,” Leblanc said, adding Bob has instead flown to Calgary to be with the family.
She said he has been providing her with regular updates from Calgary.
Although the surviving family members have been listed as in stable condition, Leblanc said “they are not out of the woods yet.”
Saturday, as the online fundraising campaigned neared its $50,000 goal — set just two days earlier — Leblanc said it became apparent it wouldn’t be enough.
“We are going to increase the goal to $100,000, based on the severity of the injuries. We still don’t know what the prognosis is for some of them, but we do know that it will be at least two months for them in Calgary — at least,” she said.
“I know they can use all the support possible. They are obviously going to have a long road ahead of them, especially being in Calgary.”
People interested in helping the family can donate at www.gofundme.com/f/ k7uj84-support.
Brock University published a statement about the tragedy, promoting the fundraising effort.
“The community is reeling at the very difficult news of the loss of one of Carla’s children, and of her grave injuries and those of the rest of her family,” said associate professor David Fancy in the statement.
“As an artist and scholar, Carla’s extensive qualities of insight, persistence, passion and generosity will certainly help sustain her during this exceptionally difficult time. All our thoughts are with Carla and her family now.”
Added Catherine Parayre, director of the university’s Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture, “Our thoughts are with her and her family.
“We grieve the cruel loss of her child and hope with all our hearts that she, her companion and her two other children will recover.”