By John Lynds
Six year old Brayden Kelly of Dorchester loved tow trucks.
So when Todisco Towing’s David Duff heard that the family of Brayden, who drowned in a pool on Trenton Street in East Boston this month, requested tow trucks be part of his memorial services in South Boston, the Eastie tow truck company manager sprung into action.
“My heavy duty manager, David Duff, handled the set up of the procession,” said Todisco Towing’s President Pat Todisco Jr. “David has four kids and is a family guy and I think it hit his heart especially after he heard the little boy loved tow trucks like all our sons do. It was great to see our towing industry come together as a team and support the family.”
Over 300 tow trucks from across the state, including trucks from Todisco Towing, formed a two mile loop around the city Sunday and passed by Brayden’s wake at Casper Funeral Home in South Boston.
“Completely and totally unimaginable. I have no words myself,” Duff told reporters after the procession. “They lost a family member. We’re all family, you gotta make sure you show them some support.”
Brayden was pulled unconscious from a Trenton Street Pool on August 17. Brayden was over a friend’s house swimming. His family had provided Brayden with swim floats, but are unsure if he was wearing them at the time of the tragic accident.
The boy clung to life for several days at Massachusetts General Hospital but died on August 20.
Brayden’s family made an emotional plea to parents following his death.
“Please, watch your children. This was an accident, but it could have been avoided,” said his mother, Jessica Kelly. “He was so sad because he kept saying, ‘I have to wear my puddle jumper, because I don’t know how to swim.’ And we just kept telling him, ‘You’ll learn. You’ll learn’. Please, just protect your children at all times. Like I said, whether the bathtub, the pool, a pond, anything. Just never take your eye off that child.”
The family started a GoFundMe account to help with Brayden’s funeral costs. The account was created by Brayden’s aunt, Jennifer Murphy of Quincy.
“As you all know, my nephew Bray passed away on (August) 20,” she said. “He was the young man that drowned in a pool in East Boston. We as a family want everyone to know that water safety is important because this was something that could have been avoided and we want not one single person to ever feel the devastating loss we are feeling.”
Through donations from all over the state the family was able to raise $9,860 as of Tuesday.
If you would like to donate please visit www.gofundme.com/4az76zs.
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Brayden Kelly id the six year old Dorchester boy who drowned this month in a pool in East Boston.