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Andy Bronson / THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
Caleb Kors, 10, from the Bellingham, Wash., area
Tributes to a 10-year-old aspiring circus performer were pouring in Friday after his death in an accidental hanging at his home near Bellingham, Wash., as he was practicing with a costume prop.
Facebook postings honoring Caleb Kors featured pictures of flowers at a temporary public memorial at nearby Fairhaven Village Green, where Caleb was once photographed sitting on a bench with a statue of the town's father, "Dirty Dan" Harris. The page had more than 1,500 likes by late Friday.
On Thursday, Caleb's death was ruled an accident although details remained unclear, the Bellingham Herald reported.
He died Tuesday at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle from brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen, according to the King County Medical Examiner's Office.
Members of the Bellingham Circus Guild who worked with Caleb told the Herald that Caleb was making a costume on Monday night when he suffered his injury. The costume included a rope, but how part of the costume became wrapped around Caleb's neck was not clear, the Herald reported.
Flip (Caleb) and Strangely performing their trapeze act at the Belllingham Circus Guilds: Vaudevillingam. (Sound cuts out when zooming.)
Caleb was often seen at the Bellingham Farmers Market. Under his stage name "Flip," the fifth-grader performed acrobatics and juggling tricks with the Guild.
"He is the kind of kid that just would light up your life," Danielle Rosellisen said of her close family friend.
Rosellisen said Caleb had a natural talent for acrobatics.
"He was good at being a monkey. Ever since he was little, he was crawling around and getting onto stuff," said Rosellisen. "A lot of people (at the Bellingham Farmers Market) recognize him week after week after week... You don't miss a kid like that."
Online, Caleb's mother and father thanked the community for its support. And Caleb will continue to affect people's lives even after death -- he is an organ donor.
"Those families are smiling and laughing and super excited right now, and that is the legacy that will live on," said Rosellisen.
Those who wish to make donations to the family can visit calebkors.chipin.com/caleb-kors, said Bellingham School District spokeswoman Tanya Rowe. More than $7,000 had been raised by Friday to help the family pay bills.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
Leave a Comment:
Must...not...feed...troll...
I just hope the troll has no kids.
That troll really should hang his head in shame for his comment!
You should too, boom-douche.
Yes, hatehatehate, cause the tragic death of a child is sooooo funny. In life, you get what you dish out. Hope you make stupid jokes when tragedy strikes close to your heart....assuming you have one, which is doubtful by your name.
hatehatehate:
If you would included some of the sentiment from this post into your first post you would not have been as badly reamed for sounding only like a d-bag. You would have otherwise been castigated as a d-bag with a bit of heart. The worst offense of the post was "not very funny." Hardly at all, so no redeeming value whatsoever. Do better next time...being funny that is...sometimes we hit it, sometimes we miss it. BTW, I value humor in dealing with loss. You missed it this time. For example, "I get choked up reading stories like this." Personalize your focus, don't put it on others, then expand your field of reference, add heartfelt emotion, create a paradox for the reader resulting in uncertainty: makes for a more accepted troll, I think so anyway.
hatehatehate:
I stand corrected, several people think your post IS funny...to each his own then.
You guys realize the hung up in his sentence? His troll apology is still just trolling lol.
I seriously cannot BELEIVE some of the comments here. You should be ashamed of yourselves and totally embarrassed by the words spewing from your traps. First and foremost a CHILD has died a very tragic death. God be with this family and friends.
All I can say is if we have to die, die doing what you love, at whatever age that is. It is apparent this young man deeply loved his act and was very good. At least it wasn't at the hands of some sick monster and his life will continue to have meaning since he was a donor. R.I.P young man.
Shame on you sick people making such deplorable comments about a child. You are sick individuals.
@MONKEYSNANA09
@boom!reason, WHATEVER!! I said the same things others said. Respect the dead child and his family. I don't know what YOU found offensive. It is sick some of those comments and you atack my remarks. WHat about the one who said it took the breath out of him...Sick!!
Lighten up, take a joke, it's not like he caused the kid's accident by making a joke, grow up!!
Why do some people think it's ok to make any kind of joke about a dead child? I call it cyber-bullying.
OMFG get over yourself stupid bitch.Bullying yeah right it is making a joke that is it.The kid was just HANGING around anyway LOL
Something tells me that there is far more to this story than what has been reported.
It is tragic when any accident takes someones life.
It's even more tragic when it is a child. A life cut short that never got a chance to blossom.
Hmmmm AngryWhitemale is a VERY good name for you. And yes, it's bullying.
No you did not. They never pretended to be on a high horse, but you did. They also never personally attacked another member.
I attack your remarks for personally insulting other members. You are still on your high horse. It's time to get off it.
I sincerly hope that these sick joke posts and those defending them are from "Mountain Dew drinking, WoWing instead of socializing, living in Mom's basement TROLLS.
There is absolutely nothing funny about a child dying. It is cruel and lacking in humanity to make jokes about this talented youngster who showed so much promise in entertaining others dying in an accident working on his craft. The ONLY people with any right to make light or put a touch of humor in events are his close circle of family and friends who know his sense of humor and if he would have found anything ironic/funny in what happened. (I fail to see anything that could be humorous about a rope tightening around a childs small neck slowly collapsing his throat making him panic, fighting for air and not being able to help himself nor call for help. The terror he must have felt could only be found funny by someone like John Wayne Gacy.
If this is now acceptable material to joke about then we as a society have sunk to a low that negates us as any kind of caring, positive culture that promotes the betterment and growth of spirit of mankind.
I hate trolls. They can be a real pain in the neck!
Comment # 1 deleted. A trollish remark that led to many CoH violations.
It's so rare for someone to find his or her career so early, and to be working at it at such a young age. His parents, his family, his Guild, his classmates, his audiences---he reached a lot of people, and I hope that their memories of his time with them will continue to bring them joy.
Thank you for including a clip of his work.
Sorry for your loss Porsha. Xoxoxo.
Sad ending to what sounds like an exceptional young life--but they don't call them "stunts" for nothing.
I think this was not a stunt. I think he may have gotten murdered. The details are foggy at best. The police should look into it further! RIP, young one.
The fact that this is a tragic and unnecessary loss of the life of a child (who possessed very average athleticism and coordination, at least based on the video I just watched) is indisputable. What I would like some additional clarification on is why the parents of Caleb are in the process of collecting, and I quote from the article above, "More than $7,000 [that] had been raised by Friday to help the family pay bills." What bills? A mention is made on the website that can be accessed by clicking on the link above that there may be substantial medical bills (conveniently, no mention is made of whether the family has insurance--decide for yourselves), but subsequent posts just beg for money. It sounds as if this child was dead, or close to it when he arrived at the hospital and the family is simply exploiting him while it's opportunistic to do so. Perhaps it was this very same spirit of opportunism/exploitation on behalf of the so-called adults in his life that led him to rehearse a stunt that killed him.
In before the barrage of "can YOU do better?!!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!"
the point of my post was not to compete for acrobatic bragging rights with a ten year old child. i want to know why his parents have set up a website for the sole purpose of collecting money for his death without disclosing where the money is going or why the website was set up to begin with.
Apparently you need to check the expiration date on your milk of human kindness. Not everyone has health insurance & even among those who do, oftentimes there is a large annual deductable & co-payments as well. Clearly you come from a very different lot in life than the Kors family. Any decent human beings would want every possible medical test done to determine if their child has any hope of recovery, whether they are insured or not.
There is no mention of a lack of health insurance in their website begging for money. It seems rather obvious to me that if their child's medical bills were the issue, and they didn't have health insurance that this would have been emphasized rather than merely suggesting that there "might be substantial medical bills" and then quickly dropping the subject. Furthermore, there are government programs that will provide for the needy and no hospital will turn away an emergency. So, I will ask again--what are the parents doing with the money that is being collected?
I don't doubt there are medical bills. Emergency services are very expensive and no matter who recieves the organ transplants, there are expenses with keeping a body "alive" until the organs can be harvested for a transplant. On top of all of that, what parent puts money aside because they may need to bury a child, or returns to work immediately following such a devastating event?! It doesn't matter what they are doing with the money, as it was freely given. Unless you contributed, get over it. This family has lost their son, and they don't need an audit from someone who knows little of their situation, and truly cares even less.
Who the hell would give insurance to a circus performer???
Recently had to bury a relative who died without any funds or plans for a funeral, service etc.. The family chose to go with cremation and urns for several family members and scattering the ashes in the deceased place of greatest happiness. This alone cost over $1500. The medical bills don't know yet. Relative was in ICU had an extensive surgery, constant monitoring etc.. expect bills to run 13,000+. Dying is expensive. However, would expect that these people would explain what they needed the money for, how and when it was to be used etc.. Also the cause of this boys death seems strange to me. Wonder if the authorites will continue to investigate?? Don't see how a 10 year old doing amateur gymnastics can hang himself?? Just seems wierd.......
Dorothy, ever heard of funeral expenses?
Dear Dorothy, you seem to live in the land of Oz. Pray tell exactly what "government programs that will provide for the needy" you are referencing that will pay for already incurred medical bills? As a social worker who spends vast amounts of time trying to track down this sort of thing I can tell you there are none that would touch this. Hospitals actually have a very specific definition of what constitutes an "emergency" and how much care they actually give (or not) without outright turning someone away. And you are still billed for that emergency care. Medical bills are a leading cause of bankruptcy, frequently start the spiral toward foreclosure, and will drop one's credit score so fa rand so fast you frequently can't rent an apartment or get hired at a job. maybe in their grief over their child dying horribly they haven't dug out an itemized accounting to post for all to see online. The hospital might not even have given them a finalized bill yet. That $7,000 might start to touch the cost of a funeral. Even the most basic of cremations with no service, no memorial, no urn, just your kid's ashes in a cardboard box, will run over $2000. But as you seem to think these parent had some hand in killing their kid for a literal few dollars you probably don't think they care about something so trifling as laying him to rest.
You have a sick mind and I hope if anything ever happens to one of your children you are throughly investigated for your likely role in it. Spay your cold ass and don't reproduce as you obviously have no understanding of the parent child bond.
dude plenty of oganizations set up wbsites and solicit money and we never know where it goes. like our tax dollars.... i would rather give money to these families that are suffering during a difficult time than pay for some lazy ass politician to do nothing but receive blow jobs and create biased bills. please stop dissecting a family that is suffering.
Dorothy, you showed zero sympathy for the family's tragic loss...only cynicism and doubt that the $7000 donated was going to be used to help the family deal with their son's medical expenses. All you got out of this story was that Caleb had only marginal talent, his parents were negligent and exploitive, as well as money grubbing opportunists? You didn't pick up that Caleb loved performing and his family had such compassion for other families that they allowed their precious son's organs to be donated?
There are plenty of causes in the world that are deserving of your anger or suspicion...pick one. But don't pick on a young child's physical abilities, judge whether or not the parents were attentive enough, or how they could possibly put $7000 to use donated after their child's tragic death. Just don't.
Your lack of empathy is apalling.
Actually, Debbi, Dorothy got none of that from this article. Her opinions and suggestions were fabricated from nothing other than her own negative outlook on life. I suspect that not too many people enjoy her company.
True. So true, Rick -881466.
If one TRULY does not understand how expensive death and everything associated with it, coupled with a lack of understanding regarding the insurance crisis in this country, then yes, I understand that one would want to gain a better understanding of what the actual financial needs are....However, it is as you say, this utter disregard for the actual content of the article displays a chilling callousness that makes me thank GOD this is not my neighbor. Sometimes people need to suffer - A LOT before they understand their folly and find empathy.
It costs money to legally dispose of a human body.
Danielle Nickerson,
Not only do a lot of politicians receive blowjobs, but they give them also to the corporate folks!
I do want to say that I would like to give my condolences to the family of this child.
@Dorothy
I didn't read the family's page that "begs" for money, however, I do have to shiver at your compassion and the chill that you are concentrating on someone collecting money, rather than an innocent 10 year old that lost his life.
I would like to also point out another part of your postings: the part where hospitals do not turn down emergencies....
While this is true, and it used to be out of compassion, they now send BILLS repeatedly, after the fact that they took you in. If those bills don't get paid, and while they never USED to be under scrutiny...it now goes on your credit report as an unpaid obligation.
In case you have tons of money and one of those 750 point scores and never have to worry, people who's scores are less than perfect, get ripped by insurance companies, loan companies, mortgage companies, employers, etc. etc...making the REST of their life miserable as well.
Also...have you SEEN the cost of a funeral these days??
Let's hope you don't lose someone and have to see the FURY of those who RESENT you for having people care enough about you and your family, to send a dollar to help!
Dorothy: You do realize that in the US, funeral expenses average 15k-20k. Most parents do NOT have life insurance on their kids because frankly they don't think that this type of thing will happen. Don't know if there are medical costs involved in this case, but if so, I am sure they are pretty high even with insurance. It would not suprise me to hear that $7000 does not begin to cover the family's financial need right now.
You know what counts is from the heart this family just lost there son and it hurts them.If you give to help the family thats fine.Dr.bills,hospital bills are high. Here were I live hospital bills and doctor bills are 2 seperated bills in place of 1. If you dont have insurance yah they will see you but they dont care that you just lost a love one they will hound you to get there money out of you and the goverment want help you if you make a penny over the amount of money you bring home and thats sad.Cost of funerals are high my kids dad just past away 28 of Dec.there was no life insurance on him they couldnt aford it my ex mother and had to go the cheapest way that was to cremate. Lord knows if I had the money it wouldnt have went that way my kids didnt want him to be cremated it hurt them bad.You know the little boy is gone he didnt get to grow up but what I have read he realy enjoyed his life he was happy. God knows what they are doing with the money that people donate if they dont do the right thing it will come back on them.If you have the it to give you will get your blessing.God has never turned his back on us.
@Dorothy-3521826
It might be best if you never post on the internet again. There were 2 tragedys here today. The first the death of this child, the second your thinly veiled attempt to cast this family as having some ulterior and heinous motive involving that death.
Dorothy-have you ever paid for a funeral??? Maybe you just dig a hole and bury whatever or whomever in your backyard. Funerals on average run well over the $7000 they have collected. Maybe you should request a tally of the cost and become the account for this fund, you know to ensure there is no misuse of funds.
Dorothy - It's thinking like yours that caused health care reform to weaken into semi-uselessness. You probably have nice group health insurance through your employer, or your husband's employer. People who have that, and/or have never experienced a trip to the hospital are absolutely clueless about healthcare in the real world.
I can guarantee that this child's medical bills were in the thousands of dollars. If they have their own insurance, there's a good chance they'll be paying most of that out of pocket anyway, with the high deductibles and co-insurance. If they are a middle class family, there is no help for them. Only those poor enough to qualify for Medicaid can get assistance with medical bills.
And yes, ERs cannot turn people away. But they do still send the bill. If you cannot afford it, they'll send you forms to apply for a reduced fee. But again, if you're income is not in the poverty level, they'll deny that. Then they'll put you on a payment plan. But they tell you what you have to pay, and if you can't afford the monthly payments, they send you to a collection agency.
Long way of saying, I'm sure this family needed money to cover medical costs.
Dorothy : Don't give them a dime. Keep your money. Use it to investigate other scams from grief-stricken families. We'll take care of this one if it's all the same to you.
True that, Rick. Dorothy sounds like a very unhappy person indeed and her take on life is dark and fraught with suspicion.
To those asking why the family might need donations.... FUNERAL EXPENSES. I mean, how can you not know this? The average burial and funeral costs several thousand dollars.
Ummm...then what was your point in knocking a deceased child for something that he enjoyed doing and wanted to pursue as a career?????????????????????
I can't imagine losing a child, especially a young one. It is very kind and generous of them to allow organ donation.
Does this mean David Carradine was a circus performer?
Ha! My thoughts too.
Why was a 10 year old in the circus to begin with. Were his parents stupid or just clowns? No pun intended
He was an ASPIRING circus performer. That means he wanted to perform in the circus and was preparing himself to do so. He wasn't in the circus yet, but he wanted to be.
Are YOU stupid, or just illiterate?
Chuck-have you ever been to the circus? Um, people start out learning this. They don't just appear in the 3 ring for your entertainment then disappear. He wanted to be in the circus. That job is no different than anyone else's job. The circus is a job just like any other.
Condolences to the family. It is sad to lose a young one that seems to have touched many lives in the community.
A 10 year old child should not be working. He should be playing, going to school and growing up. This story is sad on many levels.
oh my god are you stupid. its not like the kid was supporting his whole extended family with his earnings. he was talented and people paid him for his exhibitions. how do you know if the kid went to school or not or if he played or not played. stop assuming that he was a money making puppet. maybe he performed because he liked doing it.... has anyone ever thought that? theres an idea.... doing something that you love to do..... isnt that what children are supposed want to do with their lives? newsflash, the kid was growing up and probably playing. this is not the industrial revolution....
@ Danielle N, Oct 15, tent collapse many people no one hurt, Do I know you?
So what if he performed in a circus instead of taking a gymnastics class? The circus thing was something he *wanted* to do ... to him, it was playing, his hobby - not working!
So a farmers child should never feed the calves, pick the apples or clean the milk parlor? Should a politicians child never be on the campaign trail? Should an artist's child never paint, sculpt or draw? How does a child learn the parents craft or way of living if they do not also participate? Do they just wake up at 18 or 21 and become what they so want to be? A child can die on the farm, on the political trail or at a studio. This a sad story, that's all, a sad story.
Circus performers work since they are five or younger to get into the three rings. It's how it is. If you don't support this life, don't go to the circus.
For one, no, I don't suffer from, "white guilt." If you read my comment (and *you* talk about extrapolations, right? ;) ), I specifically made mention of the white guilt phenomena plaguing the last few generations, and to paraphrase, I'm tired of it.
I don't know where your from, but perhaps english isn't your first language (no offense meant), but to, "move beyond," or to, "move forward," does not in any way equate to, "bury your head in the sand." You mention Jews, and how you don't feel guilt for what happened to them, etc, so we'll use them as an example. The Jewish people acknowledge something horrible happened, but keep it in perspective. They move forward, for the sake of their people (and the point could easily be argued, "for, *all* people, in their own way) without being stuck, mired in the pain of the past. To acknowledge the past and ensure something like it does not happen again, while doing one's part to make life better for all parties involved is not the same as ignoring a problem completely.
We're on the same side of this issue (I promise ;) ), but forgiveness is a two part equation. Problem in this particular instance is we have the stereotypes of, "redneck klansman bigot," and the, "militant ghetto black," that make mending fences difficult. People, by nature, have a tendancy to fall somewhere between the extremes, but it happens that the extremes have the loudest voices.
**edit** bah, this was supposed to be a reply to a comment. Don't know why it's placed on it's own. Meh.
I do believe that you posted your comment in the wrong thread, not just in the wrong area of a thread.
Did you have multiple tabs open?
Wraiths comment some how got from the story on the MLK monument changes to the quote inscription to this story.
That happens on MSNBC more than people realize.
Ummmm.... this is horrible and all, but where the hell were his parents?
I know that it's impossible to watch a kid 24/7 and tragic freak accidents can happen to anyone, but when your child has a dangerous occupation at a young age, you need to put in the extra effort.
Really hate to make assumptions here, but being that he was from Washington state and in a circus, I'm picturing the parents as real free-spirit types who don't believe in rules. Shame.
Wow you really shouldn't make general assumptions about a state. I live in neighboring Oregon and the people here definetly do not resemble any of any other states stupid remarks so don't think Washington is full of irresposible "free spirits" either. Get a life this was a tragedy. Maybe it was more than a freak accident. This story like most on this site is lacking a whole lot of information. The part you got right is "where were the parents?".
I'm a Washingtonian, and I'm offended by your comment for two reasons:
1. You assume all people from Washington are brainless idiots with no common sense.
2. You assume all "free spirits" are brainless idiots with no common sense.
Your arrogance and holier-than-thou attitude is appalling. If you "hate" to make assumptions, then DON'T MAKE THEM. Or at least keep your mouth shut about them. Jerk.
Yikes! People are so quick to get bent out of shape. They must have pent up anger and let 'er rip on the next person. Sad.
Whoa, if I had a kid in his room "working on a costume" I wouldn't immediately go, "DANGER! WATCH LIKE A HAWK!" ... what's next, poking your eye out with a pencil while doing homework?
@TJP77...............you really don't hate to make assumptions............or you wouldn't have
Poor kid. Condolences to his family and friends.
R.I.P. Caleb Kors.
you know whats funny... these... over the hill guys...who say things like " this kid was average" or....he wasnt talented....or just some off the wall comment that ...us normal folk know ...that its just not cool to try to get attention on a blog off some poor kids accidental death.....BUT WE KNOW WHATS YOUR PROBLEM... you have no life...in college you really thought you were summin special...now... your getting older...still havnt accomplished your goals...none of them...not one...so thats why its easier for you to be an ass... than just to be a compassionate person and say ... R.I.P KID
How do you know they're all "over the hill GUYS"? Maybe they're young and can do better. Maybe YOU have no life.
rbjk01748,
If they are "young and can do better", they'd better get started now, because they're going to have to work hard to outdo all the self-serving people living now.
I wouldn't call his athletic ability "average"...more like above-average. Everything is harder than it looks. Try doing his seemingly most simplistic illusion of pretending to fall off balance. He would have become a great performer I believe.
My heart, tears, and prayers go out to the family of this very beautiful child. This is such a tragedy. His family's very kind and generous donation will bring peace to others. Through them he will live on. God bless them all.
Into the Father's hands he is now resting.
That is sooo true. He is in the most beautiful place that the human mind could ever fathom. I wish him peace.
So very sorry for the loss of this yourg boy....but it sounds like many stories I've read on the news feeds....the hanging sex act....not saying that to be disrespectful, but it happens time and time again. So sorry for the loss of someone so young
This is a sad time for this family, yet the scum of the earth are out in groves making stupid comments on here about contributions to the family for medical and funeral arrangements! It is not cheap to be in the hospital and die these days! Lighten up people - if you can be nice - make no noise! They just lost their 10 yr old son! And to make comments like - "the sex hanging game" etc is uncalled for!!!
I'm sure this won't be liked but it must be said by me at least. Why the heck is a 10 year old practicing a hanging maneuver by themselves? If adults were there then I'm pretty sure this would not have happened. Therefore, he had to be practicing alone or adults didn't check over the equipment.
Also, can we stop pimping out our children in the name of money and fame. How many times must I read about child stars growing up becoming drug addicts or a danger to themselves.
I sympathize for the family of this child but what this child was doing is very dangerous. Why would any parent let their child do such a dangerous thing?
Lastly, the parents claim he had natural abilities at being an acrobat. I find that statement offensive to rational thinking folks. This child was groomed to be an acrobat. It was not natural abilities.
For crying out loud! Did you bother to read the article, or do you have a reading-comprehension problem? He was making and practicing with some sort of costume that involved a rope - you made up the part of practicing a hanging maneuver. Nothing in the article can cause a rational person to think the parents were "pimping" him out, nor does it describe anything dangerous. You have no clue if he was "groomed to be an acrobat", and you are certainly not in a position to adjudge his natural abilities. What sadistic thrill do you get from judging dead children and attempting to cast unsubstantiated suspicion the the parents.
In fact, J.Edgar, if you google his name, you'll find a local story that contradicts everything you made up!
JERK !!!!!!
@J.Edgar.........I guess we should put all children in a bubble, that way they'll all make it to adulthood. But if we do this we will have no acrobats, no artists, no mountain climbers, no stunt people, no rock-n-rollers, no pilots, no surfers, no race car drivers and the list goes on. When we open the bubble we'll have a boring, milk toast, void of any character and charmless organism.....but they'll be alive.
It is my opinion that it is better to have died early doing somthing thrilling that you absolutely loved...than to live to be 100 and have nothing that stands out in your memory that made it worth those years on earth. Yes, it is a tragedy that this young man died at such a tender age, but what an extraordinary young man he was and the people that knew him will never ever forget him.
You don't know what you're talking about. Some people have natural abilities in art, science, and yes, even acrobatics. Even though he was groomed to be one, he was probably exceptional.
J edgar, your an idiot. His father is one of the most talented snowboarder, mountain biker and skateboarder around. how can u say that his talent isnt natural. His parents loved that kid more then anything and gave him the best life possible. Shut your mouth until you have something smart to say
So, in your world, nobody has ANY natural abilities that show up at an early age? I guess you think Mozart was pushed into music lessons or something. What a nonsensical statement.
As far as danger goes - life involves some danger. I don't think this accident could necessarily have been forseen. I've heard of kids strangling on something that gets caught on their bunk bed, and don't see how this is so different. Sometimes, accidents happen.
Very sad story.
Does anyone know what the parents did for work?
Very sad story, indeed, but....
Does it matter? Will it bring this child back?
Amen, brother, amen.
Probably worked for the circus. I heard it's not such a bad life.
I asked if the parents work simply because if they don't they could see if the hospital has a program called charity. In order to qualify for the program you can't work.
Since when do hospitals have a "program called charity"...the only program I know they have is "You Will Be Billed Thousands of Dollars a Day, If You Can't Pay You Will Be in a Bankruptcy Which Will Destroy the Remainder of Your Life, So You Should Have Died While You Were Here"
Harborview Medical Center is one of the nation's leading hospitals and the only Level I adult and pediatric trauma and burn center serving Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. ... Provided $187 million in charity care in fiscal year 2010. ...
What a shame that this bright flame would go out at such any early age. They both looked like natural performers to me. Hopefully we won't hear about somebody popping up to find blame for his death.
So sad, RIP.
It is a tragic story for sure. However when you continiously put a child of 5 years old as an adult especially the childs parents you are asking for an accident to happen. It is no different than parents putting pressure on child pageant contestants. The drive for performance and for the child to be great for whatever reason is all too often at the children`s expense. It is my opinion that if a costume was made that could potentially fail and has the potential of costing the child injury or god forbid death as in this case then all involved that should be held responsible and not treated as just an accident. As a society we have fought to take animals out of our circus shows because it is considered cruel to the animals not because of the potential for an animal attack for the most part but cruelty. So why as a society is it okay to say that a child has no rights until they are 18 to decide their own fate because they are considered (except certain instances) not responsible enough to make their own decisions. It just seems to me that we are focusing on the wrong things these days when we are more concerned more about an animal being mistreated than our own children and minors.
Where in the world did you get that Caleb was 5 years old??? It is amazing what you and others have made up out of whole cloth about this boy and this story!
RedRider. Did you read the story?!
@RedRider........people like you make me feel that there is no hope left in the world because of your views. First of all get the facts about the story, the boy enjoyed what he was doing, it was of his own free will. Second, the reason animals in a circus attack PEOPLE is because they are being abused and doing things against THEIR WILL, and yes it's called ANIMAL CRUELTY.
As far as caring more about people instead of animals, there are 7 billiion people on this earth, too many for the earth to continue sustaining. We are encroaching on animal territories with our sprawling suburbs and driving them to extinction, someone has to take up their cause. This NEED TO BREED that humans have is completely out of control and selfish and is hurting the animal population.
Caleb was 10 years old. Being a circus performer is dangerous, and not something I would personally allow, but to each his own.
Missy: The day that animals become more important than human beings, is when I feel there is no hope left. Quit being such a hypocrite, people use animals for many things in addition to eating them. I guarentee that you have eaten your lions share during your time here on earth. How is that any different than using them in a circus, or for animal testing etc... Have you ever taken antibiotics... they are all animal tested.
Cheesy....what century are you from....that you think animals have NO feelings or brains. You need to watch the movie "Temple Grandin" to know that even if we eat animals, there is a humane way to treat them right up until the moment of their death....as the native Americans did.....not like Buffalo Bill who slaughtered and maimed "just for the sport of it". There are free range chickens and grass fed beef also, people can make a choice when it comes to the treatment of animals. Just because they are food doesn't mean they need to suffer during their entire life.
There are also computerized tests that eliminate the need for a lot of animal testing.
As far as elephants in a circus.....it's just plain cruel.....elephants on the African plains roam over 50 miles a day.....with their elephant families, and they mourn the death of family members......now compare that to Ringling Brothers keeping them caged in railway box cars and chained to a post as they go from show to show......no wonder they go beserk and kill audience members. They belong in the wild. I'm sorry you are so insensitive and narrow minded....I hope you don't own any animals.
My heart goes out to this child's family. I do wonder why he wasn't being supervised? I know he was training to be in the circus, but in acrobatics and such...you need a spotter. He should have had someone watching him to help prevent injuries and death. None of us were there, so I guess we'll never know what exactly happened and why no one was there supervising him. I'm proud of the child for having a dream and persuing it, I am saddened that his young talented life was cut short due to this tragic accident. As far as the family collecting money, if you are worried where the moneyo is going don't send them money. Once you donate it...they can pretty well put it towards whatever. Chances are though, it's probably for medical bills, and the costs of funerals is very expensive, yes even for a CHILD. Or maybe they will put that money towards helping other children reach their dreams? Invest it back into what the young boy was passionate about, circus. Their are circus training camps and performing arts schools that children want to get into, and those school and camps are very expensive. Maybe the family could set up a scholarship program to help some of these children reach their dreams?