Community members are raising funds to support the family of the infant who died in a vehicle fire on Tuesday.
The crowdfunding campaign had raised over $30,000 as of Thursday afternoon.
The infant has been identified as Bodhi N. Shue. Firefighters initially released his age as 5-months, but his age has since been confirmed as 7-months-old.
Bodhi’s parents have been publicly identified as Jasmine Whittaker and Brandon Shue.
The two other children who were in the vehicle when it caught fire on Tuesday have been identified as the couple’s 2-year-old daughter and Whittaker’s 12-year-old sister, who she has custody of.
“Jasmine’s sister played a heroic role in helping save their 2-year-old daughter, and the entire family is struggling to process what happened,” Angela Longnecker-Davis, the organizer of the online crowdfunding campaign, states on the campaign webpage.
The fire broke out at approximately 12:10 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21, in the 200 block of 93rd Avenue Southeast in the Tumwater area.
The family was sharing one vehicle that day after Shue’s truck broke down the day before, according to information Whittaker posted to social media on Wednesday.
After taking Whittaker to work that morning, Shue, a stay-at-home dad, and the three children were preparing to leave the residence.
Shue left the children in the running vehicle and walked about 60 feet away to water some baby fruit trees on the property, according to Whittaker.
A short time later, smoke began filling the vehicle, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
The 12-year-old was reportedly able to remove the 2-year-old from the vehicle before running to alert Shue to the fire.
“She is so strong and saved a life and made every attempt to save another,” Whittaker said of the 12-year-old.
The vehicle was fully engulfed in flames by the time Shue got back to it, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
“My partner made every attempt to get our son out, and so did many others. The fire spread too fast,” Whittaker said. “The pain he carries is indescribable. Even after first responders arrived awaiting a firetruck, he kept talking to our boy and never left his side.”
Despite the best efforts of Shue, nearby residents and emergency personnel, Bodhi died in the fire.
A postmortem exam will be conducted on Friday, according to information released by the Thurston County Coroner’s Office.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Bodhi is remembered for his contagious laugh, easy-going smile and his love of food.
His name was chosen for one of its meanings, “enlightenment—to wake up, to know,” Whittaker wrote Wednesday.
“The first time we looked into Bodhi's eyes, we knew he had so much wisdom, strength, and love in his heart. And he did. He was the easiest-going, happiest, most loving little boy who could make anyone laugh,” Whittaker wrote.
Donations to the crowdfunding campaign will help cover funeral expenses for Bodhi and provide counseling for the family. Funds will also help financially cover loss of work.
“Please help Jasmine and Brandon as they navigate this heartbreaking time. Your support will mean so much as they try to heal and rebuild their lives after this unimaginable loss,” Longknecker-Davis wrote.
For more information or to donate, visit https://gofund.me/8e5297e34
