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Community gathers to honor Buda teen
Community members gathered Saturday for a fundraiser to support the family of a Buda teen who died after a motorcycle crash in late September.
ROUND ROCK, Texas - At the Central Texas Harley-Davidson in Round Rock, burgers were sizzling and the raffle was spinning, but that was not what brought everyone out on this sunny Saturday.
"Thomas, oh my goodness," said Kylie LaFever, Thomas’ mom. "Thomas was the most kind-hearted person."
The event is all for Thomas LaFever and the family he leaves behind.
In late September, Thomas was driving on his motorcycle, with a helmet on, to his high school in Kyle. His mom said he was excited about the start of spirit week.
"He was going to go to school and dress like a minion," said LaFever. "That kind of shows you, he was only 17."
His mom Kylie believes he was at a stop sign when he laid his motorcycle down and the bike suddenly accelerated.
"His bike actually never hit a car," said LaFever. "His body hit a car and went underneath."
It took 15 minutes for Buda EMS to get his heartbeat back, but it was enough to give his family a chance to say goodbye. Thomas died at the hospital a few days later.
"We let her know that if there was anything that we could do for her that we would be here," said Gabriel Pedroza, one of the paramedics who responded to the incident with Buda EMS.
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On Saturday, those same medics showed up to the Harley-Davidson store.
They drove all the way from Buda to Round Rock to join countless others for a fundraiser and auction to help the family cover more than $320,000 worth of medical bills. Kylie said she did not have health insurance.
"Every once in a while you get one that turns out this big and it’s really great because you gives support for the family, it is good for us in the community but mainly just to help this family get through this transition," said Landon Burcham, with Central Texas Harley-Davidson.
As they give back to his family, Thomas is doing the same for someone else. He was an organ donor for at least three people, including one person who is getting back their vision.
"I miss my son dearly but it’s a beautiful thing that maybe, even if it was just one person who doesn’t have to feel the pain that I feel, then that was worth it," said LaFever.
Kylie is turning her pain into a nonprofit as well. She’s named it the Thomas LaFever Foundation and she wants to provide scholarships to kids interested in trade schools. It would honor her son’s dream of becoming a welder that he never got to live out.
"The emotions are a roller coaster," said LaFever. "One minute you’re up. One minute you’re down, so I'm just really trying to dive in and make this a positive thing for him. I was so incredibly proud of him and loved him so much so I want to continue to do stuff in his honor to make other people proud of him."
For more information on the Thomas LaFever Foundation, Kylie asked people to email her at kylielafever1220@gmail.com.
His family hopes that Thomas's story will also encourage people to register as organ donors and learn CPR. The American Red Cross and many Central Texas fire departments offer classes.
They say none of the bystanders waiting for EMS performed CPR, and they think it could have made a difference in his survival.
There is also a GoFundMe for the family too.
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For more information on motorcycle and driver safety, the family encourages people to connect with LookLearnLive.org.
The Source: Information in this report came from interviews and reporting by FOX 7 Austin's Lauren Rangel.