It's July 11 or namesake day for 7-Elevens across the country, but in addition to a free Slurpee at the store on Mountain Road, able-bodied children are enjoying a moonbounce to raise money for three-year-old Colton Bonner who survived the same head-on crash that killed his mother back in May on the Eastern Shore.
"When we first found out, it was just horrific. We couldn't even take it in," said Colton's aunt, Kristin McKee, who manages the 7-Eleven and it was her idea to raise money for her injured nephew, "Every day, as I know, he still relives the accident over and over and he still misses his mom every day. He has thousands of dollars’ worth of bills and even the trash truck that hit him---they don't even have enough money to pay for his bills."
McKee says Brittany Plumer worked for Anne Arundel Medical Center and had healthcare insurance to cover Colton, but it terminated that coverage shortly after her death.
That leaves Colton's father, Brandon Bonner, struggling to help the young boy regain his life while dealing with the loss of his fiancee.
"It's hard because he really hasn't had a chance to really grieve the loss of Brittany and it's just a really sad and hard situation," said Denise Bonner, Colton’s grandmother.
A situation made more difficult since as a member of the Queen Anne-Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Company, Brandon was the first responder to arrive on the scene of the crash.
Now, the same man who once planned for his upcoming wedding is tending to a young son who is blind in one eye and awaits brain and femur surgeries---and that's just his physical injuries.
"It's difficult,” said Vince Bonner, Colton’s grandfather, “He now understands that Mommy is not coming back. I mean... I don't wish that on any three-year-old."
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