By SAMANTHA GHOLAR
sgholar@newssun.com
SEBRING -- On Saturday, the Midwest Fiberglass Pool Distributors will be having a fundraiser car wash to benefit a local family in their time of bereavement. Marketing and sales director Bryan Weil was approached by students of Sebring High School about having a fundraiser to help the Bunting family.
"They came up with the idea and asked me if I'd be interested in helping out and I said 'yeah,' so we're having it here," said Weil.
According to Amber's father, Rick Bunting, 16-year-old Amber was baby-sitting for a family in Sebring on July 27. She was supervising small children in the family's pool when she unexpectedly suffered a seizure and drowned.
Amber was revived but never regained consciousness. She was then transported to Tampa General Hospital where her family waited patiently for her to awaken, but she never did. She died 21 days later.
"We had all kinds of test run on her, but the doctors could never figure out why she started seizing," said Rick Bunting.
Only three months before Amber's drowning, on April 20, Rick and Sonya's son Dylan passed away. Dylan was born with a heart condition and died from complications following a heart transplant.
"They've run into a lot of finical problems with the medical bills and everything else, so we hope this will help them," Weil explained.
Rick Bunting explained that the family had just recently moved to Melbourne to live with friends after losing their house due to their financial situation.
"We're in Melbourne staying with friends of my wife for right now," said Bunting.
The parents were just recently informed of the fundraiser set up by their mutual friends in honor of their daughter. Midwest Pools will be hosting the car wash as well as a bake sale. The building is on the corner of State Road 98 and Highway 27 in Sebring.
Contributions to the memorial fund for both of the Bunting children can be donated to Bryan Weil or deposited into the Wachovia Bank account. For more information call 655-9100.
Friday, September 03, 2010 - www.newssun.com/0903-SG-Bunting-Fundraiser