Nathan Vandertol is described by his father as a sport-loving, charismatic kid, but the 11-year-old has a congenital heart defect.
Nathan has had multiple complications, spent his first eight months in Sick Kids Hospital, had three open heart surgeries and was once on life support.
Despite these obstacles, Nathan has continued to play Sports and be active.
On Dec. 21, 2015 Nathan and his mother Sherri were involved in a car crash on Wellington Road 24 in Guelph-Eramosa in which Sherri lost her life.
Suddenly, just four days before Christmas, the Vandertol family lost a mother and a wife.
“I can’t even begin to explain how tough (Christmas) was,” explained Nathan’s father Ryan Vandertol. “Family (and) friends went above and beyond to help make it special for Nathan, and for that I’m forever grateful.”
A Go Fund Me account has raised almost $43,000, surpassing a $25,000 goal.
Now Wellington County OPP officials are using their annual charity hockey game to support Ryan and Nathan.
Constable Kirk MacDonald, a school resource officer, was one of the responding officers to the December accident.
“It was tragic, especially when you find a young woman lost her life … I think a lot of us were really touched by the story as we learned more about Nathan and his family,” said MacDonald.
“It’s just incredible what he’s been though and then to lose his mother just before Christmas is just so sad and he was sitting right beside her at the time.”
MacDonald said he got the idea when he was collecting the family’s belongings from the vehicle.
“One of the things I did come across was Don Cherry’s Rock’Em Sock’em Hockey videos that obviously belonged to Nathan … that kind of gave me an idea because I knew I wanted to do something to help these people,” MacDonald said.
So he talked to the student council at Erin District High School and they helped make the charity hockey game a reality.
MacDonald told students “we go through life and you hear about superheroes … I said Nathan, in his own way, to us officers, is a real superhero because he’s had so many challenges in his life and yet he’s gone to live life as happy and as full as he can no matter what adversity he’s faced.”
He also reached out to Don Cherry, who then invited Nathan and Ryan to CBC Studios to meet him, Ron McLean and the entire Hockey Night in Canada staff. They even saw a Toronto Maple Leafs game.
“This is what living in a small community is about, we rally together as a community and help each other out,” said MacDonald.
Ryan agreed.
“It’s incredible how amazing the community has been. I’ve never been more proud to call Erin/Hillsburgh my home,” he said. “I don’t know how to say thank you … There are no words to express how I feel. And it’s not the money… it’s the amazing notes and the constant love that we get both on the website, and in person.
“Sherri was an amazing mother/wife/daughter/friend/co-worker that will forever be remembered by the many lives she touched.”
The charity hockey game between students at Erin District High School and the police will be held at Centre 2000, 14 Boland Drive in Erin, on March 10 at 2pm. Admission is $2 for students, $5 for adults.
A trust fund for Nathan has been opened with the TD Bank, transit #22042, Inst-004 Account #6034484.
The Go Fund Me account can be found at gofundme.com/yng2r3t8.
All donations will go directly to assist Nathan with medical expenses and an education fund.
