Girl with Asperger's dies of Swine Flu

June 25, 2009

Swine-flu victim Eaton's family starts fund

By Loiselle • Wausau Daily Herald • June 25, 2009

The family of Eaton, a 12-year-old Rib Mountain girl who died of swine flu

last week, wants to continue her legacy of loving others.

A memorial fund called 's Path has been set up to help other families with

children who have autism to pay for " all sorts of alternative forms of

happiness, " said her father, Dale Eaton.

He said he doesn't know if it was the Asperger's syndrome that made his daughter

" uniquely affectionate " or if it was just her personality, but she cared about

other people more than herself.

would have given away her favorite toy to make someone happy, and she left

an impact wherever she went, he said.

The family recently received a card from a woman who said she once saw a

" remarkably angelic " girl hug a Wal-Mart store clerk and later realized it was

when she saw her obituary.

Now, the family hopes to keep her spirit alive by making other children like her

happy, whether it's funding a birthday party for a child with a single parent or

a trip to a water park.

Eaton said the money would be given to families on a case-by-case basis to cover

whatever would make that particular child happy.

It could also cover travel expenses or alternative therapies not covered by

insurance, he said.

" It's amazing what a few hundred dollars could do for a particular family, "

Eaton said.

For the past few summers, often sold lemonade and cookies with friends in

downtown Wausau to raise money for community organizations.

Her father said always sold the most because she had a gift for

approaching strangers and getting them to buy some lemonade. Last year, the

proceeds paid for about three or four cleft palate surgeries for the Smile Train

organization.

" She very much enjoyed it, " Eaton said.

Eaton said thanks to help from family friends, " 's Path " is in the process

of becoming a nonprofit organization, and a Web site is being built. He hopes to

hold fundraisers periodically as well.

He said the fund already has a good foundation of donations made in her memory.

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