Algonquin school moms raise funds for 4th grader recovering from crash in which father died

Fourth grader Leo Carmona and his father, Oscar Carmona, were riding an ATV when the vehicle crashed, resulting in Oscar’s death in November. The crash also caused Leo to suffer serious injuries, including a permanent injury to his spine that requires him to use a wheelchair.

The devastating crash sent shockwaves through Algonquin-based Community School District 300‘s Westfield Community School in Algonquin. Moms Tejal Soni, Diana Marano, Angie Maranan and Dee Samayavong – along with Leo’s teacher, Xenia Labombarbe – came together to create a fundraiser to help Leo and his mom, Nancy Carmona-Kernan.

“I was like, ‘I can’t stand it anymore. I need to do something,‘” Soni said. “We all had worked together very nicely to put this together.”

The fundraiser, called Leo’s Bingo Bash, will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at Westfield Community School, 2100 Sleepy Hollow Road, Algonquin. The cash-only event will have food, raffles, games and prizes to raise funds for the Carmona family. More details can be found here: Bit.ly/LeoBingoBash.

“We don’t have a certain goal in mind, but we’re trying to get as much as we can through different avenues,” Soni said.

In a letter to the community to raise awareness of the fundraiser, the moms described Oscar Carmona as “a loving father, husband and soccer coach in the community.”

“Returning home to normal life will be looking a lot different now. Every aspect of their prior life will need to be altered in order to cope from the changes due to the accident,” the moms said in the letter. “Our goal is to help raise funds to assist with reducing the burdens this family will incur from this type of lifelong injury Leo has sustained.”

The community also started a GoFundMe page for the Carmona family. So far, the online fundraiser has collected more than $35,000 of the $45,000 goal. The GoFundMe can be found here: Bit.ly/LeoCarmonaFundraiser.

Money raised will fund modifications to the Carmona home for wheelchair access, medical supples and other ongoing health-related expenses. Eventually, Leo will need to resize his wheelchair as he grows, just one of many expenses that will continue indefinitely, Soni said.

“I think just the sheer factor of going from a two-income household to a one-income household is huge,” Soni said.

Leo was hospitalized until the end of January and goes to outpatient therapy three times a week. Carmona-Kernan said she hopes her son will be able to return to school after spring break.

“Leo has a very long road ahead of him as he learns to live with his injury and without his father,” Carmona-Kernan said in a text to the Northwest Herald. “We have renewed faith with the support of our friends and community that he will thrive.”

Leo was able to visit his class for a Valentine’s Day party last month. Labombarbe said her students have been missing him and always ask when he will be coming back permanently.

“He was like Mr. Popular that day. It was really cute to see,” Labombarbe said. “We talk about Leo all the time. I actually have a giant Stitch [from the movie ”Lilo and Stitch"] that sits at this desk because, obviously, Stitch is his favorite.”

The day Leo came home from the hospital, the community came together for a drive-by parade to celebrate that included police and fire departments, Maranan said.

“These women have really been the backbone and so helpful,” Carmona-Kernan said. “I haven’t had to worry or think about or do any of this. They’re just taking the lead. They have such busy and complicated lives themselves.”

The group doesn’t plan on stopping after this fundraiser. They are already brainstorming summer block parties and other ways to show their ongoing commitment to the Carmona family.

“The whole community is just rooting for them,” Soni said. “The response has been a little overwhelming at this point.”