Hough Street Elementary School is offering instructions for those interested in sharing words of support and encouragement with 5th grader, Dominic Szymanski and his family. He’s the 11-year-old boy who survived being hit by a Metra commuter train during rush hour in downtown Barrington late Friday.
Judging by posts on Facebook Friday night, the Barrington community started praying for Dominic, well before Barrington 220 school officials released his name. According to police reports, Dominic was crossing the tracks at Route 59, north of Lake Cook Road, when he was hit by a train heading toward the city. It happened just after 6 p.m. on Friday night.
In an email to district families, Barrington 220 Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Tom Leonard, was quick to call the tragedy an “accident”, saying that “The student’s family and younger siblings will be in our continual thoughts and prayers throughout the weekend.”
Barrington 220 officials also confirmed yesterday that Dominic’s condition has been downgraded from critical to stable at a nearby hospital (Lutheran General, according to police reports) where he faces additional surgeries.
Last night, we received an email from Barrington 220 Chief Communications Officer, Dr. Jeff Arnett, with this important update about Dominic’s current condition:
“The Hough School student injured in Friday’s train accident is not yet fully aware of the extent of his injuries. His condition is stable, but doctors now ask that the extent of his injuries remain discreet until he can be informed in a caring and careful way.”
Dr. Arnett went on to say, “This is why any previous posts or comments on social media sites referring to his specific injuries have been removed.”
This morning, Hough Street Elementary School announced that they’ve arranged an option for those who want to offer words of support and encouragement to Dominic and his family. On the school’s Facebook page, a spokesperson writes, “For those who have requested information about where cards and letters can be sent: Please send them to:
Dominic
c/o Hough Street School
310 S. Hough Street
Barrington, IL 60010.
“We will see that they get to him. We understand other district schools are interested in participating in this letter writing campaign. As we receive more information regarding this we will pass it along.”
For the latest updates on Dominic’s condition, CLICK HERE to follow Barrington 220 on Facebook and CLICK HERE to follow updates offered by Hough Street Elementary School about how we can help the Szymanski family during this difficult time.
This week, we’ll also catch up with local police and train safety experts for a refresher on tips to stay safe when crossing our tracks.
I’m so sad to hear this news. Dominic will be in our prayers.