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Published: Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009 / Updated: Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009 10:43 AM

Fort Mill Township raises thousands for Connor

FORT MILL TOWNSHIP -- 

Local students and school staff have donated thousands of dollars to help Connor McKemey.

Last week, a Fort Mill High School fundraiser, dubbed “Coins for Connor,” netted $5,641 to help the Tega Cay teen, who suffered burns on more than 85 percent of his body after an outdoor fireplace erupted in December.

“Wow! That’s amazing,” a shocked Karin McKemey, Connor’s mom, said Monday as she sat in a waiting room at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Ga. “I’m going to cry.”

Students and staff raised the money during a four-day period that ended last Friday. Later Friday evening, during a basketball game, Nation Ford High School donated a check for approximately $1,500 to help Connor. Both donations floored McKemey.

“It’s overwhelming,” she said. “I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am. We have such a great community. They’re just amazing.”

The original “Coins for Connor” campaign was started in Baxter Village by resident Paige Williams. She said other neighborhoods joined in and by Jan. 24, approximately $12,700 was raised with more coming in.

Doctors recently took Connor off a ventilator and feeding tube, allowing the 13-year-old to speak to his family for the first time in months. He also sat along the side of his hospital bed and tried some food, Karin McKemey said.

“We’ve had a rough 30 hours,” said McKemey, who added that Connor’s body initially rejected food. “He was not able to hold down anything for 48 hours so they had to redo the feeding tube.”

Connor, on Sunday night, held down food via the feeding tube, she said.

“He kinda’ took a dip, but we’ve turned a corner,” she said. “We were able to give him a couple sips of apple juice this (Monday) morning. We have to take it really slow with him.”

Connor has had more than a dozen surgeries and is facing a long recovery that includes a grafting surgery slated for later this month to both lower legs and feet. Still, Connor’s recent progress, coupled with the donations, has been a lot for his mom, who was also injured in the fire, to absorb.

“I can’t even wrap my mind around it all,” she said. “I can’t help but feel incredibly blessed.”