Viewer donations pour in for boy battling seizures
RAEFORD, N.C. (WTVD) -- ABC11 viewers have come together to help a two-year-old boy named Tucker. Tucker suffers from epilepsy and a viral brain disease.
The Forster family is trying to raise funds for a service dog that detects seizures, something that could potentially save Tucker's life. ABC11 viewers have helped raise thousands for the cause, but the family still has a long way to go.
"Probably not even five minutes after the story aired, we had close to $2,000," Tucker's dad Robert Forester said.
He says the service dog they're raising funds for would detect Tucker's seizures and alert the family in time to get Tucker the medicine he needs.
He says all the support his family has received warms his heart.
"People just non-stop trying to help, offering support, it's overwhelming, touching. We weren't expecting this at all," Robert said.
He says people have been so touched by the story, some have even tried to donate dogs to the cause.
"The only problem with that is the trainers like to use special breeds, or their breeds specifically, so they know that it's going to work well with the training, so they have a high success rate," Robert said.
But those special service dogs are expensive, and his wife, Jennifer, already had to quit her job to take care of Tucker.
Robert says he's lucky he's received support from the Army with his job as a medical platoon sergeant with the 82nd Airborne.
"If this was a civilian job, I probably would've been fired a long time ago, but they're family first," Robert said.
So far, Tucker is a little over halfway towards his goal of a sidekick service dog, but he still needs your help, and even a little donation can make a big difference when ABC11 viewers come together.
You can help Tucker, and his family by making a donation here.
You can also, check out the original ABC11 story on Tucker and his battle here.
