Colette Pinsonneault says even though she was not close with Cindy Harrison, when she heard about her former colleague's death in a horrifying crash this week, she had to do something.
Pinsonneault and Harrison both worked at Extendicare in Tecumseh "many years ago," says Pinsonneault. She has has started a GoFundMe campaign to help support Harrison's two children, Keegan and Kailey, aged 19 and four.
"She was just very thoughtful, and she was genuine, and she was a single mom. She was always working hard to provide for her kids," says Pinsonneault over the phone in Red Deer. "That touches home for me because I'm a single parent. I'm a single mom."
Harrison was a passenger in a car that collided head-on with another vehicle on McHugh St. in Windsor late Sunday night near Mickey Renaud Way, in front of the WFCU Centre. She was rushed to hospital with critical injuries and was taken off life-support Tuesday morning.
The driver and the passenger in the other vehicle were also taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
The 46-year-old man driving the car Harrison was in, now faces multiple charges. Windsor police have upgraded his charges to impaired driving causing death and impaired driving causing bodily harm and exceeding a blood alcohol level of 80 mg causing death and bodily harm.
Pinsonneault says she set up the GoFundMe campaign after the crash and found out after the fact that Harrison had passed away. The campaign carries even more meaning for her now.
"My heart went out to her daughter and her son who are now going to be without a mom for Christmas," she says.
Harrison's colleagues at Extendicare in Tecumseh are in the process of booking a hall for a fundraising dinner to support her children. Kayla Mummery says there will also be a silent auction.
Mummery also says staff are collecting money amongst themselves to buy Harrison's children Christmas gifts.