Residents in an Illinois city have raised more than $11,000 to help their longtime postal worker pay for medical care as he battles COVID-19, according to the Chicago Tribune.
After hearing that Victor Fajardo was hospitalized with COVID-19, Deerfield residents Cara McGowan and Andi Goldstein started a GoFundMe page with a goal of raising $10,000.
In a two-day period, the GoFundMe page raised $9,475. As of Nov. 19, the page has more than $11,000 in donations.
Ms. McGowan told the Chicago Tribune she wanted to help her mail carrier because he welcomed her into the community when she moved in, and it "felt like the right thing to do."
Mr. Fajardo started having symptoms of COVID-19 on Sept. 28. He was tested at Arlington Heights, Ill.-based Northwest Community Hospital the next day and was sent home to monitor his symptoms. He returned to the hospital Oct. 2, as he was experiencing shortness of breath and a high fever. He was then transferred to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill., to receive a higher level of care.
Mr. Fajardo is currently in critical condition, according to his family.
Mr. Fajardo's wife, Jo Fajardo, is a nurse at Northwest Community Hospital and said she is "immensely grateful" for the fundraiser.
"It is very unexpected and so touching. We are immensely grateful for the Deerfield community for their generosity and outreach," she told the Chicago Tribune. "I'm very thankful."