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Fundraiser Planned for Virginia Tech Survivor

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Dann Cuellar
More: Bio, 6abc.com News Team

June 22, 2007 (WPVI) -- Adversity has a way of challenging a family, friends and neighbors, but ultimately they are defined in how they deal with it.

A difficult road of recovery lies ahead for the family of Virginia Tech survivor Sean McQuade, but they are overwhelmed with the generosity of others, including those who are putting on a fundraiser at Swanky Bubbles in Cherry Hill.

"Through this tragedy, we met so many people. You don't realize the goodness and the kindness that come from people," said his father Ralph McQuade.

In his first interview since the Virginia Tech massacre, McQuade seems more overwhelmed with the generosity of strangers than the horror of the tragedy that critically wounded his 23-year-old son.

"A lot of people didn't bring their children home. I brought my son home, and to see my son just going forward, marching forward, he's never looking back," he said.

Sean was sitting in the front row of his German class at Virginia Tech's Norris Hall when the gunman put a bullet through his cheek shattering his jaw, his ear canal, and a number of nerves that control his eye and facial movement before cracking the back of his skull.

"The bullet somehow missed the brain, missed the cerebellum, which is the bottom of the brain and I prayed for that so much," said McQuade.

Ralph McQuade is grateful for the encouraging words received from ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff. He went thru a year of recovery from a head wound he suffered in Iraq from a roadside bomb. Woodruff set up the McQuade family with the neurosurgeon who treated him in Manhattan, Dr. Peter Constantino.

"The doctor seems confident that he can make this happen and they do miracles today, so we're confident too. We really are and my son is very optimistic," said McQuade.

To help with enormous medical bills, neighbors in Mullica Hill are putting together a benefit brunch this Sunday.

"You're doing something that is going to help the McQuade family, but also you sort of get that warm fuzzy feeling from everyone out there in the community. I think this town has really come together," said neighbor Joan Frankowski.

The benefit brunch at Swanky Bubbles will be held between 1:00 and 4:00 Sunday afternoon.

A limited number of tickets are still available. Please contact Joan Frankowski at 223-0339 or Kelly Marucci at 223-2890 or email at kmarucci2@comcast.net for additional information or to purchase tickets.

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