Children's book raising funds for boy who tragically drowned

The eight-year-old Merrivale Primary School student drowned while on a school camp at Belfast Aquatics in Port Fairy.

Residents have donated tens of thousands of dollars for a GoFundMe page to help the family in their time of need.

Other people, including members of the school community, are raising funds in other ways.

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Monique Patterson, a journalist at The Standard, is donating the proceeds to her first children's book How Much Can a Koala Bear.

The book is available for $16, with the profits - $8 from each book - going to a memorial fund for Cooper.

Miss Patterson said her heart was breaking for Cooper's family.

Her son Cael Campbell also attends Merrivale Primary School.

"It's a small gesture and there is a memorial message for Cooper and a photo of him on the back cover," she said.

Miss Patterson said she too was overwhelmed by the generosity of residents, with $600 raised for the family from sales of the book on the first day.

She said the family was touched by the gesture and had bought a number of copies as mementos.

"I hope it's something they will treasure for years to come," she said.

"No one can begin to imagine how hard this must be for Cooper's family. My gesture is a very small one - one person donated $50,000 to the GoFundMe. It's testament to the amazing community we live in."

Miss Patterson said she didn't know Cooper personally, but her son had friends who knew him well.

"The whole school community is heartbroken," she said.

You can buy a copy here https://bit.ly/3hUhDRD

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