On Tuesday, June 26 2007, my nephew Donovan Murphy set out to go swimming with friends and family at a place called Rock Dam (or Red Rock), Due to it is one of the populer and ONLY places in Turners Falls, MA. for kids to go swimming in the hot summer months due to lack of officialy designated SAFE swimming spots in town. My nephew, Donovan, was swimming and decided to jump off a low ledge, like he has done hundreds of times before, but this time it ended in disaster. As he landed in the water his head hit a hidden rock bed and he broke his neck in two places and split his head open...Paralyzing him from the chest down.
He was not only removed by ambulance he was also airlifted by lifeflight helicopter to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA. were he still is today. A story was ran in the Greenfield Recorder and a Turners Falls town official was quoted saying, when asked about building a public recreation area includeing a community pool so this sort of thing wouldnt happen as much, "'We haven't had the resources to talk about new recreation facilities & We have the schools to fund. We are trying to build a new police station and we have other more pressing needs,' MORE PRESSING NEEDS????
Children are getting hurt and even dieing, trying to escape the summer heat every year in these river spots? A few years ago in THE EXACT SAME SPOT two kids got caught up in the current are drowned. There bodies where found 100 yards down stream! Come on people THIS IS INSANE!. And they are worried about a police station and schools? So what happens when there are no more kids to put in these important schools that take presidence over human life?
My sister Jennifer Murphy has been by his side at the hospital since the whole thing has happened and noone in the immediate family has missed a day of traveling over 100 miles just this week alone, including me, to be by his side through this all. Friends of his are also traveling to visit to let him know they are there for him . At times emotions are so high from everyone that tears cant be held back and run uncontrolably.
As I left earlier today, 4:30 P.M., June 29 2007, he was just being prepped for spinal surgery that had had to be delayed two times due to swelling tissue on his body near the injuries.My Sister's insurance claims they are going to pay for the operations but her family is on a severely fixed income and it is hard to travel back and forth as needed, plus she has been actualy LIVING in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) waiting room to stay by his side. The hospital even gave here a gift card for the Freindly's Cafe that is in the hospital but it is all running out!
My Family is not one to ask for help ( to stubburn-headed ) in a normal situation, but this is no normal situation. I have created this site to inform and to plead to all the generous, caring people who know Donovan, or a kid like him, that someday, god forbid, could have this or something simular happen to them, or even your own, to please make a donation towards the long road that my nephew and my sister and family have ahead of them.
Thank you in advance from my whole family----
Shawn Cromack
Brother and concerned Uncle
