CHESAPEAKE, Va. — The family of Cameron Thomas has made a pledge to help other parents of children with autism in the wake of their son’s tragic death. Three-year-old Cameron’s body was found in a marshy area near his Chesapeake home late Tuesday night. Thomas’ family said the child, who has autism, left his home through a window and disappeared around before 6 p.m. His body was pulled from the water several hours later.
A GoFundMe page set-up to help the family pay for funeral costs indicated any money leftover would go toward helping other families of children with autism.
“All remaining proceeds will go to helping the autism chapter of Hampton Roads get GPS trackers for families who can’t afford them, so this never happens to another child again,” the GoFundMe page creator wrote.
Vania O’Keefe, a board member and past president of the Autism Society of Tidewater, said the society does offer scholarships to families who need help caring for their children. She said she recommends Project Lifesaver and swim lessons to those families in need.
O’Keefe said she was among the people who searched for Cameron the night he disappeared.
“It’s heartbreaking. I was out there searching for Cameron that night. It’s awful, for parents of a child with autism and for parents in general,” she said. “It makes us that more steadfast in trying to educate parents out there about preventing these tragedies from happening. We hope parents contact their local autism society for help and information.”
Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Cameron’s drowning, WTKR reported.
Some volunteers who helped search for Cameron Tuesday and held hands in prayer circle as crews removed his body from the water, returned to the water Wednesday to find closure and some sense of peace.
“I came to the spot where they found that little boy. I saw them bring him out of the water and I just had to come back to the daylight,” volunteer Lisa McClanahan said. “We are all a community and we help one another. It doesn’t matter black, white, Hispanic, child or adult. When someone goes missing we all want to help that is how it should be.”
