A special gift came today for the family of a Eustis boy who died of rabies.
Six-year-old Ryker Roque contracted the fatal infection when he was bitten by a bat.
Christian Academy Preschool presented the family with a $1,000 check Friday and announced a new book to its curriculum about the danger of rabies.
The announcements were meant to honor Ryker, who attended the preschool.
“I know it will get easier in time, but right now it hurts really bad,” said the boy’s mother, Michelle Roque.
The first-grader died weeks after the bite.
“We think of all of our parents and kids here as family and we always feel like we need to support them,” said Connor Jenkins, a manager at the school.
Jenkins said the book might help prevent another tragedy.
“What they should do if they get bitten or scratched. The main thing we’re pushing is to go to the doctor right away,” Jenkins said.
Ryker’s parents are convinced the guide would have saved their son.
As a safety measure, Ryker’s parents and friends he was in contact with after the bat bite were vaccinated.
Cox Media Group
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