GoFundMe campaign started for family of 14-year-old St. Charles burn victim

Morning North6:14GoFundMe campaign helps St. Charles fire victim and his family

Stepping up to help a friend and family in need... Shannon Arps set up a GoFundMe page to help after her friend's son was seriously injured in a garage fire. She joined us in studio to tell us more about the 14 year old burn victim and his family.When Shannon Arpsfound out that her son's best friend had been badly burned in a garage fire, she knew she had to find a way to help his family.

Arps got the terriblephone callon Sept. 1.

"It was immediate shock, because I didn't know if children were in the fire, or if was just the garage," Arps said."Once I found out there was a boy in the fire, my heart just sunk."

According to Arps, 14-year-old Nicholas Pilote was in the garage fixing his dirt bike when he unknowingly spilled some gas.He started his bike, which shot out a spark andignitedthefire.

Pilote escaped, but he went back in to try and take out the burning bike to save the garage.He slipped and sufferedserious burns in the process.

He was flown to SickKids Hospital in Toronto, where his parents Ang and Dean soon joined him.

There's no timeline as to when Nicholas will be released from the hospital,Arps said. She told CBC Newshe's in a lot of pain, having hadseveral surgeries,skin grafts, and a blood transfusion.

Arps has now turned to the community for help.

Using GoFundMe, a community-driven fundraising website, Arps is looking to raise $8000 for the Pilote family to help cover expenses in Toronto.

Arps said $6500 has been raised so far, and she can't believe how supportive the community has been.

'Things are replaceable, people are not.'

Despite the heart-wrenching circumstances that motivated her bid, Arps said parents can still look at thisas an opportunity to remind children that they are far more important than the things they own.

"Fires are the number one fear of anyone," Arps said.

"It's really important to reach out to everyone and say, things are replaceable, people are not."

Listen to the interview on Morning North