FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) — A South Florida restaurant chain is cooking up support for a little boy struggling to recover after being pulled from a swimming pool, and his family hopes his favorite TV superheroes will give him the power to pull through.
Dave Shula, the owner of Shula Burger, has stepped up to help 2-year-old James Edwards after the toddler nearly drowned in the swimming pool of his Coral Springs home, May 30. It’s the latest show of support from a community towards the boy’s parents, Jenna and Skyler Edwards, who face a difficult road ahead.
A Facebook page shares James’ progress with a growing list of followers who hope for the best. “I read the blog almost every day; there’s days that I can’t even read it,” said Martha Getsee, a supporter of the Edwards.
The boy’s parents appreciate the outpouring of support. “We have not reached out to any of these places that have done any of these fundraisers,” said Jenna Edwards. “They’ve all just pretty much done fundraisers and sent us checks.”
“You appreciate how kind people can be,” said Skyler Edwards.
Shula said he wanted to go a step further. The “Turtle Power Burger,” a special menu item using James’ love of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, will feed customers at all three restaurant locations this weekend. “All the profits will go to supporting James, and I’m sure they’ll have some serious medical costs when this is all done,” he said.
“Turtle power!” chanted Martha Getsee and her co-workers as they showed up at a Shula Burger location to eat for the cause, joining complete strangers who also stepped up to the plate and took a bite for James. “My heart goes out to them,” said Getsee. “Hold on, Jenna and Skyler. He’ll get better soon.”
James is still in the pediatric intensive care unit at Broward General Medical Center.
The Shula Burger fundraising effort ends Sunday.