At a press conference on Tuesday, members of the Fletcher family appealed for help for their 15-year-old daughter, Danielle, who was shot in the head two months ago and who continues to fight for her life at the Arnold Palmer Hospital.
Aimed at keeping the focus on Danielle, Greater Orlando Cares representative, Nochelle Hastings used the occasion to highlight the difficult emotional and financial situation in which the Fletcher family now find themselves, through no fault of their own.
“Our aim today is to fight for Danielle and bring attention to the cause,” Hastings told the press conference.
Danielle was caught in the cross fire of a hail of bullets on July 29, as she rode along in the backseat of the family vehicle. Since the shooting, one suspect has been arrested, although the Orange County Sheriff’s Office believes that several others were involved in the shooting incident.
Captain Angelo Nieves of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said, while a single suspect, 19-year-old Tyrone Mosby, is now in custody, the investigation remains an active one. “There is not a day that this case is not a priority. And we are making sure that the emotional aspects the family is going through are being addressed by our victims’ advocate,” he said.
Acknowledging the professionalism of most of the doctors, nurses and support staff at the hospital, Hastings, reading a letter from Danielle’s heartbroken mother, talked about the pain and pressure placed on the family to have the teen transferred, initially to a rehabilitation facility for two weeks, and then to her home.
“Why can’t somebody open their heart and give me a home or a vehicle to drive?,” read the letter of appeal. “This is not the life I wanted for my child.”
Hastings also recognized all those who had come to the family’s assistance since the tragedy, but also called for greater support from the community, in view of the enormous financial burden which now confronts the Fletchers.
But more help is underway. In a forceful ‘call to action,’ Senior Pastor George Cope, of Calvary Assembly in Winter Park, stepped forward saying, the church community felt strongly about the cry for financial assistance.
“This is not just a black issue; this is a church issue,” said Cope. “Everyone is impacted by Danielle’s tragedy. So few people have felt the responsibility to assist financially.” He urged the community, including business leaders, to come forward and show their generosity to the Fletcher family.
“I plead with you to pray and to stand against violence in the city,” he said. “If you can help families in times of need… that’s what Jesus would do.”
Calvery Assembly would match every dollar contributed with another dollar, up to $5,000.
To date, donations have totaled over $7,000, a far cry from what would be required to meet the needs of Danielle and her family.
Today’s press conference was organized by Guenet Gittens-Roberts, publisher of The Caribbean Passport News Magazine and President of the Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce and Greater Orlando CARES. The press conference was also attended by Pastor DaRon Dixon and Bishop Helligar.
