Fundraiser for Georgia boy brutally attacked by 3 pit bulls raises almost $300,000

On January 6, 11-year-old Justin Gilstrap was riding his bicycle home after playing at a friend’s house when three pit bulls dragged him into a ditch, biting off one of his ears and 70 percent of his scalp.

ADVERTISEMENT
Image
Hannah Nightingale Washington DC
ADVERTISEMENT

As January comes to a close, a fundraiser started to support an 11-year-old Georgia boy mauled by three pit bulls earlier this month has garnered hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations.

On January 6, 11-year-old Justin Gilstrap was riding his bicycle home after playing at a friend’s house when three pit bulls dragged him into a ditch, biting off one of his ears and 70 percent of his scalp.

The fundraiser was launched on GoFundMe in the days following the attack for Gilstrap’s medical bills and expenses. As of January 30, the fundraiser has received $260,445 in donations.

Ericka Gilstrap, the mother of Justin and organizer of the fundraiser, wrote at the time, "I am asking everyone to please pray for Justin. He was attacked by 3 pit bulls tonight. He was rushed in for emergency surgery. He is currently intubated and sedated at CHOG in PICU. He is missing 70% of his scalp, has several lacerations and staples, they couldn’t close the wound on his leg, and now he’s running a fever."

"The sad thing is we have reported these dogs several times before! Columbia County did nothing! It’s sad it took this for them to finally do something. I am a single mom of 4 so I am sure I will have to be out of work for a little bit plus all of Justin’s medical bills being he is going to have to have a few more surgeries. I hate asking for anything but right now I am worried about everything. Any help is appreciated."

Justin has gone through at least eight surgeries since the attack, with his mother writing on January 12, "I am also upset that they give this baby, who doesn’t even know if he’s coming or going at this point, a morphine drip with a button to hit when he’s in pain. He is not in the state to understand that. He will start crying his head hurts and they “remind” him to hit his button. That’s not his responsibility at this point."

In a January 13 piece by the Augusta Chronicle, Ericka Gilstrap said that the donations are "a weight off our shoulders."

"The outpouring of donations, cards and prayers blows my mind. You don't feel alone. You feel like you've got an army behind you. It's just been overwhelming and I'll never be able to repay all these people back, but I know that's going be the silver lining behind this – to be able to show Justin that not everybody's bad."

Shortly after the incident, the 26-year-old owner of the dogs was arrested and charged with reckless conduct. He has been released on bond.

The owner turned over seven dogs to the county, with Animal Services stating that they only have vaccination records for two of the dogs. Ericka Gilstrap said that her son is being treated at the hospital as if all three dogs who attacked him had rabies.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Join and support independent free thinkers!

We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.

Support The Post Millennial

Remind me next month

To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 The Post Millennial, Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell My Personal Information