PETERSBURG — Under bright blue skies and a midsummer sun, Upper Township and the Coast Guard Training Center Cape May Officers Association, along with first responders and law enforcement officers from around the region, teamed up to raise money for the family of a Seaville boy who was severely injured in an accident at home.
On Saturday, July 27, they hosted the Touch a Truck & Walk to benefit Dylan Vanderhaeghen, who has been hospitalized since April 13 when the 3-year-old suffered severe, life-threatening injuries.
He has been receiving treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for polytrauma to the lower half of his body, but was well enough to get a weekend pass to attend the event with his mother Christine Lynch and father Ben Vanderhaeghen.
Hayley McElroy, a spokeswoman for the Coast Guard Training Center Cape May Officers Association who worked with Lynch, said many different organizations came out to support the event, which included a 1.7-mile walk around the park.
McElroy said Dylan has been progressing with his treatment to a point that it’s realistic he will walk again unassisted.
“His spirits are up and he’s acting like a 3-year-old boy,” she said, noting “as long as he is progressing and learning” he will be able to go home in the fall.
Dylan faces multiple surgeries in his future but right now “everyone is very optimistic that he will be able to walk with a prosthetic,” McElroy said. “I think he will have a very normal life but it’s a long road.”
She also said the parents, along with daughter Emily, are doing well.
“They banded together and are doing the best they can,” she said.
The event featured emergency and utility vehicles, a race car, heavy equipment and a couple of classic cars on display at Amanda’s Field, where the playground was as much a draw as the trucks.
Children played in, on and around firetrucks, ambulances, bucket trucks and front-end loaders. AtlantiCare’s mobile EMS bus was there providing tours and information about services.
Township residents Thomas Sherby, 31, and girlfriend Rachel Johnson, 24, were sitting alongside Sherby’s dirt modified race car, which he was letting children sit in.
“We’re doing it for a good reason, mainly for the kids. They’re having fun, coming and seeing it. It’s for a good cause. You never want to see something like that happen but when it does you’ve got to do everything you can to support it,” Johnson said.
Cindy Fox, a lifelong township resident, was at the fundraiser with son Keenan, 7, and niece Nina Byers, 11.
“We heard about the fundraiser for the little boy who was injured and we wanted to come out here and support that but we are also firetruck and ambulance lovers. The boys love it. Every time one goes by we have to go chase it down the road,” Fox said.
Mayor Jay Newman said the township was happy to help.
“We wanted to do something that the local community could show support for a local resident, a student in our school, and show support for the family — not only physically and spiritually but also financially,” Newman said.
Why does the township go out of its way to support events such as this?
“That’s the kind of community that we live in,” Newman said. “That’s just how it’s supposed to be; this is just what the township is all about.”
Lynch is a senior field contracting officer who has spent nearly 22 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, now serving at Training Center Cape May. She leads and manages a diverse team of purchasing and contracting personnel over four states and drives process, policy and organization change for the district.
“I think it’s amazing. We’re not from here originally,” she said.
“It’s nice to see the community come together. It’s not even about the donations, just to come and celebrate him and show support has been really awesome,” Lynch said.
Vanderhaeghen was a Coastguardsman who now works as a civilian at the TRACEN health clinic.
Larry Cole, the township’s recreation director, said he got copied on an email and launched into action to organize the event.
“Nikki Nichols from Cape Assist stepped up and really helped me because she had a lot of connections outside our community,” Cole said.
Participants included State Police troopers teaching bicycle safety, Public Works prepping the facility and the areas of interest, Broadley’s brought an HVAC truck and provided some water, Upper Twonship Baseball worked the snack stand, Advantage Rental dropped off a small excavator and skid steer and Battelini a tow truck.
Dylan’s GoFundMe page can be found at gofundme.com/f/support-dylans-road-to-recovery.
– STORY and PHOTOS by CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
At top, Dylan Vanderhaeghen, 3, with, from left, AtlantiCare paramedics Tricia Carey and Erica Hartman, along with family friend Jamie Lynn and Dylan’s mother, Christine Lynch, at the fundraiser Saturday at Amanda’s Field in Upper Township.