Community holds fundraiser for Jeremy Diaz, Georgetown 6-year-old attacked by man with bat

Skye Seipp, Austin American-Statesman
·2 min read
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Six-year-old Jeremy Diaz was attacked with a baseball bat in his bedroom Sept. 11. A neighbor was arrested in the case.
Six-year-old Jeremy Diaz was attacked with a baseball bat in his bedroom Sept. 11. A neighbor was arrested in the case.

Jeremy Diaz, a 6-year-old boy from Georgetown who suffered traumatic injuries after a man broke into the family's house and attacked him with a baseball bat, is still fighting to recover in the hospital weeks later.

Community members rallied together Sunday to help raise money for the family by selling barbecue plates and "Jeremy Strong" T-shirts. KVUE reported that the organization raised more than expected after selling out of barbecue twice. The initial goal of the fundraiser, held by the Share the Will organization and the YMCA of Central Texas, was to sell 250 plates and to raise $10,000.

Jeremy suffered serious brain injuries after neighbor Daniel Logan broke into the Diaz family's home and hit him with a baseball bat Sept. 11, according to a copy of Logan's arrest affidavit. The injury caused Jeremy's brain to swell, and he's been in the hospital ever since. Logan also hit Jeremy's mother in the face with the bat.

More: Police: 6-year-old Georgetown boy hospitalized after neighbor attacks him with baseball bat

Daniel Logan is charged with injury to a child in the attack on his neighbor's son.
Daniel Logan is charged with injury to a child in the attack on his neighbor's son.

Jeremy's loved ones set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for his medical expenses and rehabilitation after the incident, and as of Monday, it had raised more than $273,500 — about 92% of its goal.

Arturo Diaz, Jeremy's father, has provided regular updates to the GoFundMe page. An update Friday said Jeremy had a setback after the medical staff tried to remove his intubation tube and his throat swelled up.

"His lungs are fine, but swelling in his throat prevented him to pull in the life-giving air," the post said. "I truly wish today's update would have been a better one, and not for the sake of the update, but for relief from the pain that grips my very soul."

Although Jeremy remains in the intensive care unit, his father has called the progress he's made and the initial expectations for his recovery "night and day." Jeremy is now able to essentially breathe and control his limbs on his own, according to previous updates posted on the GoFundMe page.

Arturo Diaz could not be reached immediately for comment.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Fundraiser held for 6-year-old Georgetown boy attacked by man with bat