MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Monday afternoon, the Manchester School District announced that they were providing grief support for those mourning the loss of a student from Manchester in an accident in Albany, NH, over the weekend.
As of 2:30 p.m. on Monday, a Gofundme page launched to support the Simpson family raised just over $78,000 as word circulated throughout the community that 8-year-old Gabriel Simpson was killed in the crash, and several of his family members injured.
According to the page, Kyle Simpson, the father, who works for the GearUp program, suffered crushed ribs and has undergone surgery. Christin Simpson, a hairstylist, suffered a broken pelvis and arm. Jeremiah, 11, suffered a broken ankle “and a broken heart” for the loss of his little brother and “best friend.”
Grief support services will be available for students, family and school staff on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at McDonough Elementary School and Manchester School of Technology.
The Manchester School District is also recommending anyone in need of support due to this tragedy but who is unable to make it to either session can reach out to Friends of Aine, a Manchester-based non-profit group specializing in helping grieving children and families.
On Monday night, Manchester School District Superintendent Dr. Jenn Gillis released the following statement.
My heart – all of our hearts – go out to the Simpson family. No one should have to endure the loss of a child. I take heart in seeing the level of support our community has provided. We can’t take away that loss, but we can be there for them. When you lose someone, everything slows down for you, and it feels like the rest of the world keeps moving along. I hope the family, their colleagues and friends all grieving this loss understand they’re not alone. The strength and support of this community is here for them.
I want to thank our district team for working through this weekend on logistics, communications, and just checking in on people. At the end of the day, our work is about people – please remember to be kind and take care of each other.
