‘Little Natasha gained her wings’: Go Fund Me Page to help family of girl who died after being found in hot car
Go Fund me Page hopes to raise $2000 to help the family of little Natasha Gorjup. The five-year-old tragically passed away on Sunday after being found unresponsive in a hot car last week.
Newcastle
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Family and friends are still mourning the loss of “bubbly” little girl Natasha Gorjup who passed away in hospital on Sunday after she was found unresponsive in a hot car at their Port Stephens home earlier that week.
A family friend has put together a Go Fund me Page hoping to raise $2000 to help the family with funeral costs at this “unexpected time”.
It said: “On the 26th of November the lives of the Gorjup family took a shocking turn for the worst.
“Natasha Gorjup, aged five, is fighting for her life after an afternoon play adventure went horribly wrong.
“Natasha climbed into the car to play when temperatures outside were around 32C.
“After many tests, this morning (Sunday) little Natasha gained her wings.
“Please gather together to help with the funeral cost for the family. Every little bit counts, I thank everyone for all the donations and kind words already.”
On Tuesday morning, the Go Fund Me Page had raised more than $1600 and was climbing.
The five-year-old was found by her father, Aloiz, last Tuesday unconscious after she was playing and crawled into their family car in the driveway of their Tanilba Bay home.
She was airlifted by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle and was placed in an induced coma as she fought for her life.
The following day Mr Gorjup, told The Newcastle News how his wife had asked him to check on the children.
“I went down to see my wife Jessica because she was feeling crook and was having a lay down,” he said.
“She said, ‘how’s the girls’, and I said ‘pretty good’.
“She said, ‘what about Tash?’ I said ‘I think she’s outside in the sand pit’.”
Mr Gorjup said he opened the curtains to check on her.
“She wasn’t there so I went out the front door,” he said.
“I thought if she’s not in the backyard, she’s got to be out the front.
"That's when I noticed the back passenger door on the car was slightly ajar.
"I usually lock the doors but I didn't have the keys when we got home.”
He then opened the car to find his little girl leaning lifeless against the door.
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“She’d crawled in to the car and I don’t know how long she was in there, obviously long enough to do some serious damage,” Mr Gorjup said as he started to cry.
“I thought she was crying and I said, ‘Are you alright, Tash?’ and I got no response.
“I shook her and she was just all limp and so I picked her up and brought her in.
“I called out to my wife and put her on the floor and I rang up the ambos straight away.
"It was all just a horrible mistake, an accident.”
At the time, Mr Gorjup said he and his wife, who are also parents to Lexi, 4, were by Natasha’s bedside and praying for her recovery, but days later she died in hospital.
Police from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District will now prepare a report for the Coroner.