(CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Illinois State Police confirm that four of the six children injured on Monday at YNOT Outdoors Camp in Chatham remain hospitalized.
Donations are being accepted for Ella Orsi, one of the injured children, who is still hospitalized. The GoFundMe, as of Wednesday afternoon, had already raised more than $48,000 to help the family cover medical costs. The request for donations indicates Ella was severely injured with facial fractures, a broken jaw, damaged teeth, brain swelling, and brain bleeding. She is currently in the pediatric ICU and will reportedly need plastic surgery. According to the fund’s organizer, Casey Sitko, Ella is intubated and medicated so that she can rest and recover.
Donations are also being accepted through a GoFundMe created by the Glenwood Student Council, which has already raised over $150,000 to help affected families with medical bills, funerals and other expenses.
The six children were injured and four others killed when a Jeep left the roadway on East Walnut Street and drove onto the YNOT property and through the building. Illinois State Police identified the driver as 44-year-old Marianne Akers of Chatham. Aker’s Jeep reportedly struck children outside the structure at 301 Breckenridge Rd. before crashing through the structure and striking more children inside before exiting out the other side of the building.
Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon released the names of the four children who died: Ainsley Johnson, age 8, of Chatham; Rylee Britton, age 18, of Springfield; Kathryn Corley, age 7, of Chatham; and Alma Buhnerkempe, age 7, of Chatham.
A memorial fund has been set up in Ainsley Johnson’s name at United Community Bank in Chatham.
A candlelight vigil was held Tuesday night, and a second candlelight vigil will be held Wednesday night at the Glenwood High School Football field starting at 7:30 p.m.
For more information on how to support the families and the community, go to the Chatham Strong Linktree.
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