Residents of Toronto have now launched a GoFundMe campaign for Jillian Mendoza, the woman who bravely pushed two young children out of the path of an oncoming vehicle on Wednesday, sustaining life-threatening injuries herself in the process.
Mendoza is being praised by both law enforcement and the public as a "hero nanny" for saving the two- and five-year-old in her care during the incident, which took place late in the morning while she was walking with a stroller along St. Clair near Dufferin in the Corso Italia neighbourhood.
Mendoza ended up pinned under an SUV that had mounted the curb and crashed into a parking metre and then a storefront while the driver, an 82-year-old man, was trying to parallel park along the busy thoroughfare.
Officials on the scene lauded Mendoza's quick thinking and selfless deed, telling CTV News at the time that "the stroller was actually partially pinned between the vehicle and the wall, which is unbelievably lucky and everyone here is thankful that she actually took the actions that she did."
that's hero shit if i've ever seen it. does anyone know of a gofund me for her?
— Ally Fiorido🌹 (@AllyFiorido) February 25, 2021
At the time of publication, a staggering $67,970 and counting has been raised in just one day's time for the caregiver who, according to the campaign, is a single mom who immigrated to Canada a few years ago from the Philippines and is currently in the process of obtaining permanent residency here.
"She is a very loving and dedicated mother and nanny who cares so much about her wards... I wasn't surprised that she acted heroically and saved the lives of the boys she cares for. I know how deeply she loves the children she is taking care of," the page, created by close friend Anne Manuel, reads.
"She is also the sole provider of her family. It will be a long road to recovery and I hope that we can help support her financially and through prayers."
Updates state that Mendoza and those close to her are "overwhelmed" with the outpouring of love, support and kindness that has come from the community in such a short time.
She is currently in hospital recovering after three critical surgeries that were required as a result of the accident. The children, meanwhile, were only minorly injured, but taken to the hospital along with the driver on Wednesday as a precaution while Mendoza was transported to a trauma centre.
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