VIRGINIA (WTVR) – Police officers and firefighters in Virginia raised over $15,000 to help provide a special Christmas for a three-year-old boy who has already endured so much tragedy.
In June 2012, a then one-year-old Tommy Oppermann and his mother Reina were thrown from a car during a crash. Tommy, who was in his car seat survived, his mother did not.
For the next two years, Tommy lived with his father Erik.
Erik, a 44-year-old volunteer firefighter, died in December from a heart attack. Tommy was in the bed with his father when his dad died.
Tommy’s situation touched the hearts many of Virginia’s first responders, some of whom responded to both the car crash in 2012 and Erik’s December heart attack.
That is why so many first responders raised money around the office for Tommy. After all the money was combined, more than $15,000 was raised.
Police took Tommy’s aunt and guardian Gretchen Miller to Target to go shopping for Tommy and his cousins.
In addition to buying Christmas gifts, some of the money was spent on clothes and household supplies. The family was able to save some of the money to used as needed later in life.
To read the full story on our affiliate station’s website WTVR – Channel 6, click here.
