By Sarrah Peters, News Editor
On Saturday, March 4 the “Give For Gabby” auction fundraiser will be held in the Arthur Green Room at Gadsden Convention Hall at 7 p.m.
On February 13, local Ray Thompson Elementary School student Teana “Gabby” Douglas passed away after fighting for over a month.
Douglas had contracted the flu and RSV, then pneumonia, necrotic pneumonia, sepsis, multiple organ failure, ECMO life support and MRSA and Acinobactur infections.
This tragedy comes only two years after the family lost a son.
“You fought the biggest battle, bigger than any one person should ever face and you didn’t lose my sweet baby, you won! The ones who are left behind are the ones who lost!” wrote Gabby’s mother, Carrie Harden, on Facebook, shortly after Gabby passed away.
Family friends want to help assist the family financially, especially since the family has been at Gabby’s bedside for the last 40 days. While bills have been accumalating at home, the family has been staying in hotel rooms, and now has medical bills and funeral expenses to pay.
“We are just trying to help them out,” said organizer Jennifer Thompson. “I can’t even imagine what she [Harden] is going through. I don’t want her having to worry about bills too.”
Over 40 donations, big and small, to be auctioned have been offered in the last few days, with more coming in. Items to be auctioned include a vacation package, spa packages, furniture and gift certificates to restaurants, local businesses and even The Factory.
The event will provide food and drinks, donated by local businesses, for attendees. Organizers are working to procure live music for the event, as well. There will also be door prizes.
Tickets to the event are $10 each or $25 for a family of four. Tickets are available at Parnell’s Mattress, located at 603 Chestnut Street in Gadsden; at Kerry Wilson Insurance, located at 434 Broad Street in Gadsden; and at Allen’s Lock and Key, located at 699 Chestnut Street in Gadsden. You can also contact Jennifer Thompson at jpthomp424@gmail.com, Sony Smothers at sonysmothers@gmail.com or Becky Parnell 256-399-3693. If you can’t pick up tickets, they can be delivered to you.