Aden Perry, a young man who died last week in Sunrise, Florida, while selflessly trying to rescue a fellow teen, will be laid to rest Monday as friends and loved ones remember him for his loving and altruistic actions.
The tragic events unfolded last Tuesday night, when Perry saw Venkata Sai Krishnamurthy, 18, accidentally drive his car into a canal. Perry, 17, jumped in the water and tried to save Krishnamurthy, but both teens tragically died.
Perry’s family hopes his kind deed will offer a legacy that inspires others. They have launched the Aden Perry Good Samaritan and Scholarship Fund to motivate other young people and keep his memory alive.
A GoFundMe set up to support the effort has already raised more than $68,000, with the family calling the scholarship fund a “living legacy” for Perry.
“It is our hope that this fund will allow Aden to continue being a hero and sharing his kindness with others in need of education or help,” reads the GoFundMe description. “In lieu of or in addition to flowers, we can all share in this effort and honor Aden for his selflessness, kind heart, academic accomplishments, tutoring/educating others, college goals, and ultimate act of courage.”
The Perry family plans to give monies to students interested in medicine or science.
The GoFundMe page also concludes with a heartbreaking message from the Perry family to the beloved teen, expressing how much they miss him and how proud they are of his “selfless act.” It reads:
Aden – We miss you already. Through your untimely death we are learning more about the memories you created for others and the lives you touched. On behalf of all of your loving family and friends as well as a grateful community, thank you for living your life as a role model. Your final selfless act is an example for others to follow.
Sarah Perry, the teen’s mother, spoke last Thursday with WSVN-TV to share her son’s life and legacy. Describing him as an excellent student at Western High School, where he was a junior, Sarah said he was also deeply caring.
And that compassionate, selfless nature took over last Tuesday while Perry and his mom walked their dog.
“We were walking, actually having one of those great mom and son moments. We usually had our walk and talks when we would talk about anything — good, bad, or ugly — and that was what we did,” Sarah told the outlet. “Next thing we know, we saw a car hit the tree and go flying into the lake. Immediately we started running, my son grabbed the phone and called 911, handed me the phone, so I could actually talk to them. He took the dog from me and kept running toward where the lake was.”
She said the victim in the water was yelling for help and her son jumped in. Sarah said she’ll never forget what happened next.
“I wasn’t able to jump in because I can’t swim,” she said. “I saw his face, I heard his voice. It was ear-piercing. These are sounds I will never forget.”
Sarah added, “Part of me died in that lake with my son.”
Family members also released a statement to the media expressing their sorrow and thanking the public for caring reactions to their loss.
“It is difficult to find words to express the deep pain and sorrow we feel after losing our son Aden Perry,” the statement read. “However, we are absolutely touched and moved by the outpouring of love and support from family, friends, and the community who have reached out to express their condolences.”
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As Faithwire previously reported, police said Krishnamurthy was purportedly lost at the time of the accident and made a wrong turn.
Witnesses like neighbor Josh Kelso expressed how shocked they were by Perry’s sacrificial acts.
“It’s crazy that somebody has the courage to do that and jump up and step up to the plate,” Kelso told WSVN-TV. “It’s very unfortunate that the loss of somebody sacrificing themselves.”
Continue to pray for the Perry and Krishnamurthy families during this difficult time.
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