Family of 5-year-old boy shot in Texas church massacre ask public to send him Christmas cards
The family of a five-year-old boy who was injured last month in a bloody Texas church shooting is appealing to the public to help them bring a bit of holiday cheer to the boy this Christmas.
Ryland Ward, who was shot five times in the First Baptist Church last month, is still in the hospital after the shooting. As he faces his first holiday season without his mother and two siblings — who all died in the shooting — his grandmother is hoping to make things just a little brighter this month.
“You got so many nice people that are sending a card and a dollar to Ryland,” Sandy Ward, his grandmother, told local news. “He does really enjoy that a lot.”
Ms Ward said that her grandson hasn’t been told that his mother and sisters were killed by the gunman, who entered the church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, last month and left virtually no-one unscathed. He has been in the hospital for six weeks, and has seen his release delayed after doctors noticed complications in his femur during recovery.
So, they’re hoping that the Christmas cards can add some brightness to his holidays, and that they’ll be able to surprise him with a go-cart when he’s healthy enough to use it. Ms Ward said her grandson really likes pictures of other kids with their pets.
At the same time, a GoFundMe campaign has also been activated to help the family pay for the medical costs for Ryland. They’ve raised $132,000 of the $200,000 goal so far.
Anyone interested in sending a Christmas card to Ryland can address it as follows:
Ryland Ward, P.O. Box 174, Sutherland Springs, Texas 78161.
