'You'll forever be in our hearts': Fundraiser for motorcyclist who died in horror Streetly crash days after his 17th birthday reaches £8k in two days
A fundraiser has been organised to ease the costs of funeral arrangements for the young man's family.
A poignant fundraiser organised to create a memorial plaque and ease funeral costs for a 17-year-old boy who died when his motorbike collided with a car on Thornhill Road, Streetly, has reached £8,000 in only two days.
He has been named as 'Theo Jay Ganderton' on the GoFundMe fundraiser.
The collision took place on August 29, only two days after the teen's 17th birthday, with dozens of heartfelt tributes of flowers and letters being left at the scene of the crash.
A poignant letter, left by a member of the community, described the immense loss felt by those who knew him, saying that they will 'miss him more than anything' in the world.
The tribute read: "You're genuinely one of the best people I've ever met, and you never failed to put a smile on my face every day.
"I'm going to miss you more than anything in the entire world."
Fundraiser
Following Theo's death, a community fundraiser was organised on the donation website GoFundMe, with funds raised going towards supporting the cost of a funeral and the creation of a plaque for the lost teen.
The description on GoFundMe describes the immeasurable loss, it reads: "On Friday, August 29, at 23:43 we sadly lost our Theo.
"Unfortunately, he collided on his motorbike with a car on Thornhill Road, only minutes away from home. He left us just two days after his 17th birthday.
"He had an infectious energy which made everyone join in with his cheeky little smile. The support and messages that we have received have only echoed how loved Theo is."
'We are immensely proud of Theo'
The description also noted Theo's passion for ice skating, his motorbike and karate, of which he was a World Champion in 2019.
The description continued: "You only had to know Theo for moments to know that he found himself through his ice skating, karate and love for his motorbike. He took every opportunity to express himself through his hobbies and dedicated his time to perfecting these.
"In 2019, Theo became a World Karate Champion, receiving Gold for his kata in Slovakia. We are immensely proud of Theo's achievements and the young man he grew to become."
'You'll forever be in our hearts'
The post ended with a call for support to help with the costs of the funeral and the plaque, with Gofundme organiser, Tanisha, saying that 'no donation is too small'.
She wrote: "We've set up this page to allow those who can, to donate to funeral arrangements and a plaque to honour Theo's memory.
"No donation is too small. We want to be able to give him the send-off he deserves.
"Theo was the most devoted son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, uncle and friend that we could have ever asked for.
"Rest easy, Theo, you'll forever be in our hearts x."
The fundraiser has raised almost £9,000 of its £13,000 goal in only two days since it was launched, with many choosing to leave £10 or more to his family.
To donate to the fundraiser and to leave a message of support, visit the GoFundMe website.
An appeal for information around the incident is still ongoing, with Staffordshire Police asking anyone with information to contact them via their 101 number, quoting 965 of 29 August.
