GoFundMe Set Up For 11-Year-Old Who Died In A Tragic Tobogganing Accident In Ottawa

A local fundraiser has set out to honour the memory of a young girl who tragically died from a sledding accident in Ottawa last month.

The GoFundMe went up on January 6, 2022, in an effort to raise money for the family of Josée Abi Assal, an 11-year-old girl who lost her life in a tobogganing accident at Mooney's Bay — a popular, but unofficial sledding hill in Ottawa.

According to CBC, Josée was tobogganing with her siblings and cousins on December 27 when their sled collided with a metal signpost at the bottom of the hill, severing her spine.

She was rushed to a nearby hospital but later died due to her injuries.

In the fundraiser's description, organizers Elias and Aline Abourjeili say the girl's fatal injury occurred in front of her brother and sister, who tried to comfort her with kisses and encouragement until the paramedics arrived.

"The images of the accident will haunt them for the rest of their lives. No child should feel, see, and live with this pain of losing a loved one in front of their eyes," the statement reads.

"As a parent, I can only imagine the pain that the family is going through. Creating an education fund and helping her siblings get the professional help that is needed for them to get through this is what Josée would have certainly wished for," it adds.

The fundraiser has already raised more than $49,000, which amounts to nearly $30,000 more than its initial goal of $20,000.

The money will go towards creating an education fund for her siblings and other costs the family will likely require in the wake of their devastating loss.