Family, friends and the Brown County Schools community are rallying around the family of a 12-year-old old boy under care at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health.

Egan Gaskins was taken to Johnson Memorial Hospital Feb. 8 after he fell ill at the Brown County YMCA. He was transferred to Riley Hospital and has remained there, said his elementary principal, Abbie Oliver. She set up a GoFundMe page for the family.

Egan has diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious diabetes complication where the body produces excess blood acids, Oliver said.

She said the diabetes was undiagnosed until now.

“He is very, very sick. He’s had swelling on the brain that has caused pretty substantial damage,” Oliver said.

Oliver said Egan moved his foot recently and grabbed his mother’s hand, but doctors are unsure if that is intentional or involuntary muscle movement.

His parents, Carrie and Daryl Gaskins, are sitting by their son’s bedside around the clock. His younger brother is a student at Sprunica, Oliver said.

“They’re really good people. They’re very kind and want to do their best. They’re certainly in a crisis right now,” Oliver said.

Oliver described Egan as a sweet, kindhearted, loving young man who always has an animal with him.

“Any time you see Egan he’ll either have a box of frogs, he’ll have a box with a turtle in it, he’ll have goldfish, a salamander, a cat or a dog always either with him or in his pocket or something,” she said.

She describes Egan’s parents as hardworking people who work multiple jobs.

“It’s certainly one of those families you want to step up and help, because they are working so hard to help themselves,” she said.

“This is one of those times when a community rallies and everyone wants to know what they can do, but the person in need never says ‘Give me money,’ so that’s why we triggered the GoFundMe page,” Oliver continued.

“Even though this crisis is happening, the other half of their life still goes on, like paying a house payment and a car payment and your light bill and your water bill.”

As of Feb. 16, the page had raised $4,350 of the $6,000 goal.